GRAIN-SIZE TRENDS ASSOCIATED WITH NET SEDIMENT TRANSPORT PATTERNS - AN EXAMPLE FROM THE BELGIAN CONTINENTAL-SHELF

Grain size trends in relation to net sediment transport pathways are examined, using some commonly-used grain size parameters. The results of the trend analysis (for 15 types of the trends) are compared with a known net sediment transport pathways established on the basis of the sandbank hydro- and sediment-dynamics (i.e. general water and sediment movement patterns and bedform asymmetry). It is shown that: (1) the results for grain size trends associated with ''a worsening in sorting along the transport pathways'' have little similarity to transport pathways; (2) the results for grain size trends associated with ''an improvement in sorting along the transport pathways'' have relatively high degree of similarity to the identified pathways; and (3) the residual pattern, derived on the basis of a combined grain size trend used elsewhere (Gao and Collins, 1992), appears to be most similar and suitable for defining transport pathways.