Triangle PlotA triangle plot (also known as a ternary plot), is a graph of 3 variables. It is most often used in geologic studies to show the relative compositions of soils and rocks, but it can be more generally applied to any system of three variables. The proportions of the three variables plotted always sum to some constant. In DPlot that constant is always the value 100. Because the 3 values for any point always sum to a constant, any one variable is not independent of the others so only two variables must be known. Each vertex of the triangle represents a 100% proportion of the variable to the left, and 0% of the variable to the right side of the vertex.
As a proportion increases in any one variable, the point representing that sample moves from the base to the opposite point of the triangle.
In DPlot the X values are used for the horizontal scale, Y values are used for the right side of the triangle, and Z values (left side of the
triangle) are forced to 100-X-Y.
If your data is sand, clay, and/or silt percentages but is not ordered correctly for this plot, you can perform one or two simple
swapping operations such that the graph will have the correct orientation for this option.
DPlot also includes support for IUGS (International Union of Geological Sciences) mafic and ultramafic rock classifications and Ab-An-Or (Albite, Anorthite, Orthoclase) mineral classifications. For mafic rock, the X values are assumed to be Olivine percentage, Y values are assumed to be Plagioclase percentage, and the inferred Z values are Pyroxene percentage. For ultramafic rock, X values are assumed to be Clinopyroxene percentage, Y values are assumed to be Olivine percentage, and the inferred Z values are Orthopyroxene percentage. For Ab-An-Or plots, X values are assumed to be Orthoclase percentage, Y values are assumed to be Anorthite percentage, and the inferred Z values are Albite percentage. In general you can plot any sort of boundaries and/or labels you want with a ternary plot. For an example see the blog entry on this subject. If you have a plot classification that you think might be of use to others, please let us know and you'll likely see that option in a future release.
Tip: Most moderate-sized non-bold fonts will have a pronounced aliasing problem at orientations other than horizontal or vertical on your
display. They're ugly, in other words. For triangle plots this pertains to the numbers along the X and Z axes. The equivalent bold font will
generally have a better appearance in this case. This applies mainly to the display and saved bitmaps; printed fonts will generally look
good regardless of the orientation or font weight.
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