Lab: Analyzing Marine Sediments

Oceanography

Typos…Materials – 3 beakers, NO spoons.

#4 & #5 should say, “Put approximately 250 mL of sample…

What are you doing?You will determine the environment of 2 samples

of marine sediment? Is on neritic? Pelagic?

You will separate the grain sizes using sieves.

You will determine Wentworth size of sediment in each sieve.

You will determine the percentage of each sieve/grain size.

Review…Neritic sediment may have these

characteristics:

-Coarse, may contain shell fragments, from environments where water is moving rapidly, near the coastline.

Pelagic sediment may have these characteristics:

-Fine, also may contain shell fragments, but not many, from environments where water is moving slowly, usually from deep-sea areas.

What do you need?

OverviewGet approximately 250 mL of the 2 sediment samples..

Measure mass of each sample. Remember to subtract the mass of the beaker!

Put sample 1 in sieve and shake for 5 minutes.

Determine the % of sediment in each sieve.

Using the Wentworth chart, identify each sediment in each sieve (Boulder, pebble, gravel, sand, silt, or clay?).

Repeat for sample 2.

Answer conclusion questions and return materials where you found them!