Sains Malaysiana 46(5)(2017): 685–693

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2017-4605-02

 

Grain Size Analysis of Surface Fluvial Sediments in Rivers in Kelantan, Malaysia

(Analisis Saiz Butiran Sedimen Permukaan Sungai di Kelantan, Malaysia)

 

WAN HANNA MELINI WAN MOHTAR*, SITI AMINAH BASSA & MOJTABA PORHEMMAT

 

Jabatan Kejuruteraan Awam & Struktur, Fakulti Kejuruteraan & Alam Bina, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

 

Received: 5 February 2015/Accepted: 17 October 2016

 

ABSTRACT

Grain size spectrum and textural parameters for the fluvial sediment bed in seven tropical rivers of Kelantan, Malaysia are presented in this article. The samples were collected from six tributaries to the main Sungai Kelantan spanning approximately 248 km stretch of water streams. Sand or gravel dominated river was identified for each river using the sediment composition analysis. Textural pattern shows complicated profiles of mean size and no consistent decreasing grain size and gradation parameter were observed towards the downstream flow. Most of the samples fall under the category of either very poorly sorted or poorly sorted and has very platykurtic kurtosis distributions. CM diagram (C=one percentile in microns and M = median grain size in microns) suggested that the deposition of fine-grained sediment for samples with median grain size d50 <1 mm are either by rolling, rolling and saltation or saltation and suspension.

 

Keywords: CM diagram; fluvial sediment; grain size; sediment composition analysis; tropical rivers

 

ABSTRAK

Saiz butiran spektrum dan parameter tekstur untuk sedimen di dasar tujuh sungai tropika Kelantan, Malaysia dibincangkan dalam kertas ini. Sampel telah diambil daripada enam anak sungai utama kepada Sungai Kelantan yang merangkumi kira-kira 248 km sepanjang sungai. Pasir atau batu kelikir di sungai yang mendominasi telah dikenal pasti untuk setiap sungai menggunakan analisis komposisi sedimen. Corak tekstur menunjukkan profil rumit bagi saiz min dan tiada penurunan saiz butiran dan penggredan parameter secara tekal diperhatikan mengikut arah menuju hiliran. Kebanyakan sampel berada dalam kategori sama iaitu amat tidak terisih atau kurang terisih dan mempunyai taburan kurtosis sangat platikurtik. Gambarajah CM (C = satu peratus dalam mikron dan M = saiz butiran median dalam mikron) menunjukkan bahawa pemendapan sedimen halus untuk sampel dengan median saiz butiran d50 <1 mm adalah sama ada dengan olengan, olengan dan loncatan atau loncatan dan ampaian.

 

Kata kunci: Analisis komposisi sedimen; gambarajah CM; saiz butiran; sedimen sungai; sungai tropika

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*Corresponding author; email: hanna@ukm.edu.my