Sorting (sediment)

Sediment consisting of well sorted grains (left) compared with poorly sorted grains (right).

Sorting indicates the distribution of grain size of sediments, either in unconsolidated deposits or in sedimentary rocks. Poorly sorted indicates that the sediment sizes are mixed (large variance); whereas well sorted indicates that the sediment sizes are similar (low variance).

The degree of sorting may also indicate the energy and/or duration of deposition. Well sorted rocks are generally porous, while poorly sorted rocks have low porosity.

Sorting is the degree to which particles are the same size

See also

• Rounding
• Porosity
• Soil texture
• Sediment transport