Grain size

Grain size

Grain size in geology refers to the physical dimensions of particles of rock or other solid. This is different from the crystallite size, which is the size of a single crystal inside the solid (a grain can be made of several single crystals). These can range from very small colloidal particles, through clay, silt, sand, and gravel, to boulders. Size ranges define limits of classes that are given names in the Wentworth scale used in the United States. The Krumbein phi (φ) scale is logarithmic and computed by the equation: φ = -log 2 (grain size in mm).

Phi Scale Size range
(metric) Size range
(approx. inches) Aggregate name
(Wentworth Class) Other names

< -8 > 256 mm > 10 in Boulder

-6 to -8 64 - 256 mm 2.5 - 10 in Cobble

to -6 32 - 64 mm 1.2 - 2.5 in Very coarse gravel Pebble

16 - 32 mm 0.6 - 1.2 in Course gravel Pebble

8 - 16 mm 0.3 - 0.6 in Medium gravel Pebble

- 2 to 4 - 8 mm 0.15 - 0.3 in Fine gravel Pebble

-1 to -2 2 - 4 mm 0.08 - 0.15 in Very fine gravel Granule

0 - -1 1 - 2 mm 0.04 - 0.08 in Very coarse sand

1 - 0 0.5 - 1 mm 0.02 - 0.04 in Coarse sand

2 - 1 0.25 - 0.5 mm 0.01 - 0.02 in Medium sand

3 - 2 0.125 - 0.25 mm 0.005 - 0.01 in Fine sand

4 - 3 0.063 - 0.125 mm 0.002 - 0.005 in Very fine sand

8 - 4 0.004 - 0.063 mm 0.00015 - 0.002 in Silt

> 8 0.001 - 0.004 mm 0.0004 - 0.00015 in Clay

< 0.001 mm < 0.0004 in Colloid

In some schemes "gravel" is anything larger than sand (>2.0 mm), and includes granule, pebble, cobble, and boulder. In this scheme pebble covers the size range 4 to 64 mm (-2 to -6 φ).\n

Phi Scale	Size range (metric)	Size range (approx. inches)	Aggregate name (Wentworth Class)	Other names
< -8	> 256 mm	> 10 in	Boulder
-6 to -8	64 - 256 mm	2.5 - 10 in	Cobble
to -6	32 - 64 mm	1.2 - 2.5 in	Very coarse gravel	Pebble
	16 - 32 mm	0.6 - 1.2 in	Course gravel	Pebble
	8 - 16 mm	0.3 - 0.6 in	Medium gravel	Pebble
- 2 to	4 - 8 mm	0.15 - 0.3 in	Fine gravel	Pebble
-1 to -2	2 - 4 mm	0.08 - 0.15 in	Very fine gravel	Granule
0 - -1	1 - 2 mm	0.04 - 0.08 in	Very coarse sand
1 - 0	0.5 - 1 mm	0.02 - 0.04 in	Coarse sand
2 - 1	0.25 - 0.5 mm	0.01 - 0.02 in	Medium sand
3 - 2	0.125 - 0.25 mm	0.005 - 0.01 in	Fine sand
4 - 3	0.063 - 0.125 mm	0.002 - 0.005 in	Very fine sand
8 - 4	0.004 - 0.063 mm	0.00015 - 0.002 in	Silt
> 8	0.001 - 0.004 mm	0.0004 - 0.00015 in	Clay
	< 0.001 mm	< 0.0004 in	Colloid