Grain Size Scale
U. S. Standard Sieve Mesh | mm | Phi (Φ) Units | Wentworth Size Class | ||
4096 | -12 | boulder | gravel | ||
1024 | -10 | ||||
256 | -8 | ||||
64 | -6 | cobble | |||
16 | -4 | pebble | |||
5 | 4 | -2 | |||
6 | 3.36 | -1.75 | granule | ||
7 | 2.83 | -1.5 | |||
8 | 2.38 | -1.25 | |||
10 | 2 | -1 | |||
12 | 1.68 | -0.75 | very coarse sand | sand | |
14 | 1.41 | -0.5 | |||
16 | 1.19 | -0.25 | |||
18 | 1 | 0 | |||
20 | 0.84 | 0.25 | coarse sand | ||
25 | 0.71 | 0.5 | |||
30 | 0.59 | 0.75 | |||
35 | 0.5 | 1 | |||
40 | 0.42 | 1.25 | medium sand | ||
45 | 0.35 | 1.5 | |||
50 | 0.3 | 1.75 | |||
60 | 0.25 | 2 | |||
70 | 0.21 | 2.25 | fine sand | ||
80 | 0.177 | 2.5 | |||
100 | 0.149 | 2.75 | |||
120 | 0.125 | 3 | |||
140 | 0.105 | 3.25 | very fine sand | ||
170 | 0.088 | 3.5 | |||
200 | 0.074 | 3.75 | |||
230 | 0.0625 | 4 | |||
270 | 0.053 | 4.25 | coarse silt | silt | mud |
325 | 0.044 | 4.5 | |||
0.037 | 4.75 | ||||
0.031 | 5 | ||||
0.0156 | 6 | medium silt | |||
0.0078 | 7 | fine silt | |||
0.0039 | 8 | very fine silt | |||
0.002 | 9 | clay | clay | ||
0.00098 | 10 | ||||
0.00049 | 11 | ||||
0.00024 | 12 | ||||
0.00012 | 13 | ||||
0.00006 | 14 |
Modified from: Boggs, S., Jr., 1995, Principles of Sedimentology and Stratigraphy: Upper Saddle River, Prentice-Hall, Inc., 774 p. (after Wentworth, 1922)
© copyright Chuck D. Howell, Jr. 2001-2022
No part of this website or any information contained may be used or reproduced without written permission from Chuck D. Howell. Figures and information may not be posted on other websites and/or publications. Proper citation is required.