Sediment Composition for Nonpoint Source Pollution Analyses

ABSTRACT EQUATIONS were derived that describe the composition of sediment as a function of the distribution of primary particles in the matrix soil. These equations calculate the fraction of sediment in five particle classes—primary clay, primary silt, small aggregate, large aggregate, and primary sand—and the composition of the aggregate classes. The equations describe sediment at its point of detachment and are designed for use in nonpoint source pollution models that route sediment by particle classes to compute the transport of soil-associated contaminants from field-sized areas.