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Applying Besler's response diagram: a comment
Livingstone, Ian
Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie Volume 33 Issue 4 (1989), p. 499 - 502
9 references
published: Dec 27, 1989
ArtNo. ESP022003304009, Price: 29.00 €
Abstract
In a recent paper Harmse & Swanevelder (1988) claim to have evidence which supports Besler’s (1983) interpretation of Friedman’s (1961) bi-variate plot of grain-size statistics. In reality, there is still scant evidence to support Besler’s proposal, and much which suggests that her response diagram is far from universally applicable. The essence of Besler’s argument was that a bi-variate plot of mean and sorting (standard deviation) grain-size statistics using phi (log transformed) units could be used to discriminate sedimentological environments. The fundamental premise was that different geomorphological processes gave different grain-size distributions. Besler reinterpreted Friedman’s diagram, which discriminated between fluvial and aeolian deposits, so that a distinction could be made between what she termed “aeolian mobile”, “aeolian stable” and “aeolian residual” deposits. She averred that only “aeolian stable” and not “aeolian residual” sands could be mobilised by a decrease of vegetation cover in a period of ‘desertification’.
Keywords
grain-size • geomorphological • aeolian • Friedman's diagram • desertification