Quartz particles in sediments become flatter with decreasing size; a cleavage mechanism may operate below the critical size of about 100 microns. Flat particles would tend to form a more open packing than spherical particles, and this may contribute to the collapse of loess and similar soils and the sudden loss of strength observed in "sensitive" clay soils.
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Krinsley et al. (1973) studied this question.
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