QFL diagram

A QFL diagram or QFL triangle is a type of ternary diagram that shows compositional data from sandstones and modern sands, point counted using the Gazzi-Dickinson method.

The abbreviations used are as follows: In general, the most contentious item counted is chert, which is usually counted as a lithic fragment, but is sometimes better suited in the Q pole.

The importance of a QFL triangle is mainly demonstrated in tectonic exercises.

As first demonstrated in the 1979 paper by Bill Dickinson and Chris Suczek,[1] the composition and provenance of a sandstone is directly related to its tectonic environment of formation.

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Ternary diagram showing the relative abundance of quartz, feldspar, and lithic grains and views of what selected compositions would look like.
QFL triangle showing schematic plots of common sand compositions