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Laser granulometry of Holocene estuarine silts: effects of hydrogen peroxide treatment

Allen, J. R. L. and Thornley, D. M. (2004) Laser granulometry of Holocene estuarine silts: effects of hydrogen peroxide treatment. Holocene, 14 (2). pp. 290-295. ISSN 0959-6836

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To link to this item DOI: 10.1191/0959683604hl681rr

Abstract/Summary

The Holocene estuarine silts of the Severn Estuary Levels (southwest Britain) are representative of their kind in northwest Europe. They contain two broad types of plant material: particles codeposited with mineral grains from the estuarine water body, and extraneous debris (stems of indigenous prior plants; post depositional root matter) which is difficult to remove completely by physical means. Treatment with hydrogen peroxide before laser granulometry removes all plant material regardless of kind, drastically reduces values for the mean grain size and median size relative to untreated samples, but has little effect on the mode, except for a restricted group of bimodal-platykurtic, medium-coarse silts. It is concluded that, in the case of sediments of the general kind examined, no advantages acrue from the treatment of samples with hydrogen peroxide prior to analysis. Although a discrete rather than continuous variable, values of the mode obtained from untreated sediments are suggested to be acceptable for most purposes where a measure of central tendency is required.

Item Type:Article
Divisions:Science > School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science
ID Code:3191
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