The unusual hydrodynamical behaviour of freshwater oncolites

Algal concretions are frequent in calcareous environments, occuring as individual particles (oncolites) that are easily transported during floods. Several parameters have been measured and calculated for a population of 127 particles from French streams. These oncolites have a high porosity (mean 42.7%) and a low density (mean 1.65), in respect to quartz and calcite. Oncolites have a settling velocity 1.5 times lower than that of quartz grains with the same nominal diameter. The computation of multiple correlations results in a classification in terms of decreasing efficiency: shape coefficients (Corey, ψ, and SI of Sneed and Folk), nominal diameter, density, edge sharpness and roughness. A…