Sorting of Earth Materials
First, Some Questions:
1. If we have grains of sand of the
same size but with different
densities, how will they sort?
(e.g. cat litter and gravel)
2. If we have particles of different
sizes but the same density, how
will they sort?
Answer 1
When particles are the same size and the
different density (think of the density
blocks we used) they will layer or sort
according to density:
• Most dense on bottom, least dense on
top.
Answer 2:
When particles are different sizes but the
same density they will sort by size:
• Large particles on top, small on the
bottom
Nature is more complicated. Let’s look at
some real life examples:
* Beaches
* Rivers and Streams
* Canyons, road cuts
How do the particles on a beach sort?
The bigger particles are farther up on the
beach while the smaller grains of sand
are closer to the water. Why do you
think this happens?
Rivers and Streambeds
http://gregrob.ca/640x480/stream_bed.shtml
Remembering water is a factor we
have to consider, how would particles
sort in a stream?
http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/fluvial_sy
stems/geologic_work_of_streams.html
Canyons & Road cuts
Sorting of dry material
We can see examples of the sorting of Earth’s materials by
looking at the Grand Canyon.
The earth’s surface is constantly changing.
This occurs slowly. Grand Canyon !
http://geoscape.nrcan.gc.ca/nanaimo/images/photo_rock_layers_e.jpg
East Side of Flaming George