Abstract
This paper deals with key issues concerning operationalism and the value chain in particle-size analysis (PSA), and addresses conceptual problems of PSA measurement. In order to obtain the highest quality of information contained in a set of sediment samples, one has to follow an approach called operationalism, i.e. a set of recipe-like sequential operations by which a scientific proposition can be verified or rejected. Review of the literature indicates that particle sizing as a methodology suffers from excessive verbosity and professional jargon, and has never really matured. Is the PSA crisis a result of a fundamental failure of concepts and paradigms, or is it just a technical problem related to work methods? Although PSA is fundamental to the understanding of sedimentary processes, as well as being a basic tool in earth sciences and engineering, there is still no generally accepted and standardized mode of operationalism after more than a century of intensive scientific work. The sedimentological community is called upon to come up with a unified and standardized approach.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 383-401 |
Number of pages | 19 |
Journal | Sedimentary Geology |
Volume | 202 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1 Dec 2007 |
Keywords
- Grain size
- Measurements
- Paradigms
- Scales
- Sediments
- Standards
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geology
- Stratigraphy