Size Distributions of Mineral Grains Suspended in Chesapeake Bay and Nearby Coastal Waters

Abstract

Recognizable mineral grains constituted 2 to 15% of the suspended matter in surface waters collected in June 1965 from Chesapeake Bay and from the offshore area between Cape Henry and Cape Hatteras. In the upper bay, the mineral grain size became progressively finer in the down-bay direction. Mineral size distributions in the middle and lower bay showed little relation to those in either the upper bay or the offshore waters. Most of the mineral grains suspended in the offshore waters (considered on a weight basis) seemed to be derived from sources other than the bay effluent.