sorting Rearranging information into ascending or descending order by means of sortkeys. Sorting may be useful in three ways: to identify and count all items with the same identification, to compare two files, and to assist in searching, as used in a dictionary. An internal sorting method keeps the information within the computer's high-speed RAM; an external sorting method uses backing store. There are a wide variety of methods.

sorting An expression of the range of grain sizes (see PARTICLE SIZE) present in a sediment. A well-sorted sediment is characterized by a narrow range of grain sizes, whereas a poorly sorted sediment contains a wide range of grain sizes.

sorting An expression of the range of grain sizes present in a sediment. A well sorted sediment is characterized by a narrow range of grain sizes; a poorly sorted sediment contains a wide range of grain sizes.