A theoretical explanation of grain size distributions in explosive rock fragmentation.

ABSTRACT: We have measured grain size distributions of the results of laboratory decompression explosions of volcanic rock. The resulting distributions can be approximately represented by gamma distributions of weight per cent as a function of [Formula: see text], where d is the grain size in millimetres measured by sieving, with a superimposed long tail associated with the production of fines. We provide a description of the observations based on sequential fragmentation theory, which we develop for the particular case of 'self-similar' fragmentation kernels, and we show that the corresponding evolution equation for the distribution can be explicitly solved, yielding the long-time lognormal distribution associated with Kolmogorov's fragmentation theory. Particular features of the experimenta

SUBMITTER: Fowler AC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4950187 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature