Reply to Higgins, M.D., 2012. Comment on Berger A., Herwegh M., Schwarz J.-O., Putlitz B., 2011. Quantitative analysis of crystal/grain sizes and their distributions in 2D and 3D

Quantitative analysis of crystal/grain sizes and their distributions in 2D and 3D

Abstract We review methods to estimate the average crystal (grain) size and the crystal (grain) size distribution in solid rocks. Average grain sizes often provide the base for stress estimates or rheological calculations requiring the quantification of grain sizes in a rock’s microstructure. The primary data for grain size data are either 1D (i.e. line intercept methods), 2D (area analysis) or 3D (e.g., computed tomography, serial sectioning). These data have been used for different data treatments over the years, whereas several studies assume a certain probability function (e.g., logarithm, square root) to calculate statistical parameters as the mean, median, mode or the skewness of a cr…