Size classifications are important not only as a means of describing the particles that are incorporated to form sediments but also because of the implications that sizes have on transport and sorting processes and such characteristics as porosity.
Apart from their generality, terms such as silt, sand, or pebbles are not entirely satisfactory as means of description because of the varying interpretation given to them. For example silt has both popular and scientific usage, while even within the latter there is a range of definitions. Such variations usually relate to different disciplines or between different countries, such as United States or United Kingdom usage. Additionally, more elaborate classifications are likely to incorporate criteria other than purely dimensional ones and thus be defective in another respect.
Pettijohn (1975)has pointed out three types of size classification: those that are divided geometrically on a decimal basis and in a cyclic fashion; those that are...
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References
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Carr, A.P. (1982). Sediment size classification . In: Beaches and Coastal Geology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30843-1_406
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