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Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 028001 (2006) [4 pages]

What Is in a Pebble Shape?

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D. J. Durian1,2, H. Bideaud2, P. Duringer3, A. Schröder2,†, F. Thalmann2,†, and C. M. Marques2,*,†
1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6396, USA
2LDFC-CNRS UMR 7506, 3 rue de l’Université, 67084 Strasbourg Cedex, France
3CGS-CNRS UMR 7517, Institut de Géologie, 1 rue Blessig, 67084 Strasbourg Cedex, France

Received 30 March 2005; revised 11 January 2006; published 13 July 2006

We propose to characterize the shapes of flat pebbles in terms of the statistical distribution of curvatures measured along the pebble contour. This is demonstrated for the erosion of clay pebbles in a controlled laboratory apparatus. Photographs at various stages of erosion are analyzed, and compared with two models. We find that the curvature distribution complements the usual measurement of aspect ratio, and connects naturally to erosion processes that are typically faster at protruding regions of high curvature.

© 2006 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.028001
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.028001
PACS:
45.70.−n, 83.80.Nb, 91.60.−x

*Corresponding author.

Email address: marques@ics.u-strasbg.fr

†Present address: Institut Charles Sadron, CNRS UP22, 6 rue Boussingault, 67083 Strasbourg Cedex, France.

 
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