In general, sediments are not faithful recordings of the history of sedimentary input at a given location because they are subject to a variety of postdepositional processes that can alter their composition, structure, and therefore the apparent record. Foremost amongst these processes is widespead mixing of sediments by biological or physical agents. Geologists, geochemists, biologists, and engineers often find it necessary to quantify the effects of mixing on the distribution of solid sedimentary components. For example, the fate of a buried contaminant can be controlled by its unanticipated release from the sediments by mixing. In addition, isotopic distributions can be significantly affected by mixing, such that estimates of sediment accumulation rates become highly skewed to unreasonably large values if the influence of mixing is not taken into account.
Correct prediction of the effects of mixing can be obtained through mathematical models; these models are based on the principle...
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© 1978 Dowden, Hutchinson & Ross, Inc.
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Boudreau, B.P. (1978). Mixing models. In: Sedimentology. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg . https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-31079-7_141
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-31079-7_141
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
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