Abstract
Grain-size measurements are a type of compositional data and thus subject to closure effects and nonnormality. The logratio transform of Aitchison successfully resolves these problems in compositional data analysis. An application to modern sediment data from the northern part of the South China Sea demonstrates that logratio principal components analysis provides a clear separation of data which cannot be obtained by ordinary principal components analysis, and that cluster analysis using logratio principal components gives a much better classification of sediments than does cluster analysis using raw data. The delineation of sedimentary environments on the basis of a logratio classification of sediment samples provides a better understanding of hydrodynamic conditions on the shelf.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aitchison, J., 1982, The Statistical Analysis of Compositional Data (with Discussion): J. Royal Statist. Soc., B., v. 44, p. 139–177.
Aitchison, J., 1986, The Statistical Analysis of Compositional Data: Monographs on Statistics and Applied Probability: Chapman and Hall, London, 416 p.
Chayes, F., 1960, On the Correlation Between Variables of Constant Sum: J. Geophys. Res., v. 65, p. 4185–4193.
Huang, Jianchong, and Huang, Qizhou, 1985, Classification and Seasonal Variations of Water Masses (in Chinese):in Reports of the Comprehensive Investigation of the South China sea, Vol. 2: China Science Publishing House, p. 183–204.
Krumbein, W. C., 1962, Open and Closed Number Systems in Stratigraphic Mapping: Bull. Amer. Assoc. Petrol. Geol., v. 46, p. 2229–2245.
Yang, Shengmin, and Jin, Bo, 1985, Geomorphological and Sedimentational Characteristics of the Underwater Delta in Zhujiang River Mouth (in Chinese),in Symposium on Coastal Dynamics, Geomorphology, and Sedimentation: China Science Publishing House, p. 35–40.
Zhou, Di, Chang, T., and Davis, J. C., 1983, Dual Extraction of R-mode and Q-Mode Factor Solutions: Math. Geol., v. 15, p. 581–606.
Zhou, Di, 1984, Adjustment of Geochemical Background Data by Multivariate Statistics: Ph.D. dissertation, Dept. Geology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, 374 p.
Zhou, Di, 1987, Robust Statistics and Geochemical Data Analysis: Math. Geol., v. 19, p. 207–218.
Zhou, Di, 1989, ROPCA: a FORTRAN Program for Robust Principal Components Analysis: Comput. Geosci., v. 15, p. 59–78.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zhou, D., Chen, H. & Lou, Y. The logratio approach to the classification of modern sediments and sedimentary environments in northern South China Sea. Math Geol 23, 157–165 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02066292
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02066292