Comparison of sediment energy-texture relationships in marine and lacustrine environments

Sediments in the marine environment are generally subject to higher energy levels than those of lake systems, and lakes are virtually unaffected by tidal range which modifies beach structures formed in response to wave effects. However, despite different energy levels, the textural characteristics of both marine and lacustrine sediments are very similar. The main difference between marine and lacustrine facies is the depth range over which these characteristics remain consistent. In lakes, depth limitation may influence the development of surface waves and restrict textural distributions.Simple textural relationships can be used to describe comparable marine and lacustrine sedimentary conditions. Sediments which have been altered by post-depositional erosion, such as lag deposits, or by ice-drop or wind blown settlement, show comparable textural modifications.The settlement of silt and clay size particulates, in the marine environment and lakes, may differ slightly because of the chemical differences between salt and fresh water.