diff --git a/data_types/src/partition_metadata.rs b/data_types/src/partition_metadata.rs
index d6084db4d9..90f8021b48 100644
--- a/data_types/src/partition_metadata.rs
+++ b/data_types/src/partition_metadata.rs
@@ -93,9 +93,6 @@ impl TableSummary {
             + mem::size_of::<Self>() // Add size of this struct that points to
                                      // table and ColumnSummary
     }
-    pub fn has_table(&self, table_name: &str) -> bool {
-        self.name.eq(table_name)
-    }
 
     /// Updates the table summary with combined stats from the other. Counts are
     /// treated as non-overlapping so they're just added together. If the
diff --git a/internal_types/src/schema/sort.rs b/internal_types/src/schema/sort.rs
index ebfd3ab8b9..6775695e0b 100644
--- a/internal_types/src/schema/sort.rs
+++ b/internal_types/src/schema/sort.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use std::str::FromStr;
+use std::{fmt::Display, str::FromStr};
 
 use indexmap::{map::Iter, IndexMap};
 use itertools::Itertools;
@@ -133,6 +133,31 @@ impl<'a> SortKey<'a> {
     }
 }
 
+// Produces a human-readable representation of a sort key that looks like:
+//
+//  "host, region DESC, env NULLS FIRST, time"
+//
+impl<'a> Display for SortKey<'a> {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::result::Result<(), std::fmt::Error> {
+        for (i, (name, options)) in self.columns.iter().enumerate() {
+            write!(f, "{}", name)?;
+            if options.descending {
+                write!(f, " DESC")?;
+            }
+            if !options.nulls_first {
+                // less common case
+                write!(f, " NULLS LAST")?;
+            }
+            write!(f, ",")?;
+
+            if i < self.columns.len() - 1 {
+                write!(f, " ")?;
+            }
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
diff --git a/read_buffer/src/chunk.rs b/read_buffer/src/chunk.rs
index 1ea94bf23a..e2ea5e51dc 100644
--- a/read_buffer/src/chunk.rs
+++ b/read_buffer/src/chunk.rs
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ impl Chunk {
     }
 
     /// The total number of row groups in all tables in this chunk.
-    pub(crate) fn row_groups(&self) -> usize {
+    pub fn row_groups(&self) -> usize {
         self.table.row_groups()
     }
 
diff --git a/server/src/db/lifecycle/compact.rs b/server/src/db/lifecycle/compact.rs
index e304cae0eb..51604298e5 100644
--- a/server/src/db/lifecycle/compact.rs
+++ b/server/src/db/lifecycle/compact.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ use std::sync::Arc;
 
 use data_types::job::Job;
 use lifecycle::LifecycleWriteGuard;
+use observability_deps::tracing::info;
 use query::exec::ExecutorType;
 use query::frontend::reorg::ReorgPlanner;
 use query::QueryChunkMeta;
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ pub(crate) fn compact_chunks(
     TaskTracker<Job>,
     TrackedFuture<impl Future<Output = Result<Arc<DbChunk>>> + Send>,
 )> {
+    let now = std::time::Instant::now(); // time compaction duration.
     let db = Arc::clone(&partition.data().db);
     let table_name = partition.table_name().to_string();
     let chunk_ids: Vec<_> = chunks.iter().map(|x| x.id()).collect();
@@ -42,6 +44,7 @@ pub(crate) fn compact_chunks(
     });
 
     // Mark and snapshot chunks, then drop locks
+    let mut input_rows = 0;
     let query_chunks = chunks
         .into_iter()
         .map(|mut chunk| {
@@ -49,6 +52,7 @@ pub(crate) fn compact_chunks(
             assert!(Arc::ptr_eq(&db, &chunk.data().db));
             assert_eq!(chunk.table_name().as_ref(), table_name.as_str());
 
+            input_rows += chunk.table_summary().count();
             chunk.set_compacting(&registration)?;
             Ok(DbChunk::snapshot(&*chunk))
         })
@@ -71,6 +75,7 @@ pub(crate) fn compact_chunks(
 
     let fut = async move {
         let key = compute_sort_key(query_chunks.iter().map(|x| x.summary()));
+        let key_str = format!("\"{}\"", key); // for logging
 
         // Cannot move query_chunks as the sort key borrows the column names
         let (schema, plan) =
@@ -79,6 +84,7 @@ pub(crate) fn compact_chunks(
         let physical_plan = ctx.prepare_plan(&plan)?;
         let stream = ctx.execute(physical_plan).await?;
         collect_rub(stream, &mut rb_chunk).await?;
+        let rb_row_groups = rb_chunk.row_groups();
 
         let new_chunk = {
             let mut partition = partition.write();
@@ -89,6 +95,16 @@ pub(crate) fn compact_chunks(
         };
 
         let guard = new_chunk.read();
+        let elapsed = now.elapsed();
+
+        assert!(guard.table_summary().count() > 0, "chunk has zero rows");
+        // input rows per second
+        let throughput = (input_rows as u128 * 1_000_000_000) / elapsed.as_nanos();
+
+        info!(input_chunks=query_chunks.len(), rub_row_groups=rb_row_groups,
+                input_rows=input_rows, output_rows=guard.table_summary().count(), 
+                sort_key=%key_str, compaction_took = ?elapsed, rows_per_sec=?throughput,  "chunk(s) compacted");
+
         Ok(DbChunk::snapshot(&guard))
     };