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Sorting identification and geology

A measure of the range of grain sizes in a sediment or sedimentary rock. Well-sorted sediments have a narrow range of grain sizes e.g., beach sand , while poorly sorted sediments contain a wide mix of sizes e.g., glacial till . Sorting reflects the energy and duration of transport: prolonged wave action produces excellent sorting, while rapid deposition from debris flows produces very poor sorting. Field: sedimentology. Example: The well-sorted, rounded quartz sand of the St. Peter Sandstone indicates prolonged reworking by waves and currents in a shallow marine environment, producing one of the most texturally mature sandstones in the geological record.. Related terms: Grain size, Wentworth scale, Maturity, Transport.

Sources, scope & corrections

These authoritative resources support category-level nomenclature, terminology, identification methods, and safety. When a specimen-specific safety warning appears, the public-health source listed here directly supports that precaution. They are not line-by-line citations for every other property on this entry, and natural specimens vary.

Editorial owner
GeoMiner
Last updated
2026-03-30T15:19:42.096023+00:00
Review status
Published; not independently peer-reviewed
  • USGS Thesaurus — U.S. Geological Survey. Controlled earth-science terminology used to describe USGS information resources.
  • Glossary of Geologic Terms — U.S. National Park Service. Geologic definitions prepared by the NPS Geologic Resources Inventory.

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Common questions

What does Sorting mean in geology?
A measure of the range of grain sizes in a sediment or sedimentary rock. Well-sorted sediments have a narrow range of grain sizes e.g., beach sand , while poorly sorted sediments contain a wide mix of sizes e.g., glacial till . Sorting reflects the energy and duration of transport: prolonged wave action produces excellent sorting, while rapid deposition from debris flows produces very poor sorting.
What is an example of Sorting?
The well-sorted, rounded quartz sand of the St. Peter Sandstone indicates prolonged reworking by waves and currents in a shallow marine environment, producing one of the most texturally mature sandstones in the geological record.
Which earth-science field uses the term Sorting?
Sorting is used in sedimentology.
Which terms are related to Sorting?
Related terms in this reference are Grain size, Wentworth scale, Maturity, Transport.

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