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SEMINAR: TODAY GEOTOPICS: Randomness, scale-independence, and predictability, in coral reef morphology

From: Keri Vinas <KVinas@rsmas.miami.edu>
Subject: SEMINAR: TODAY GEOTOPICS: Randomness, scale-independence, and predictability, in coral reef morphology
Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2012 15:19:15 +0000



Monday, March 26, 2012
3:15, SLAB Seminar Room, S/A 103
Refreshments at 3:00 PM

Our upcoming speaker is Dr. Sam Purkis  from the National Coral Reef Institute, Nova Southeastern University, Dania Beach, FL


The title of his talk is "Randomness, scale-independence, and predictability, in coral reef morphology"


Abstract

The field of morphometrics is concerned with studying variation in the form (size, shape, complexity, orientation, thickness) of objects. The discipline is easily melded with GIS and relevant to carbonate sedimentology in that it can be used to highlight similarities or differences between sites, structural, motifs, and environments of deposition. Indeed, it is now well-established that the behavior of aspects of the size and geometry of geobodies within modern shallow-water depositional environments are predictable and can be mathematically captured. Satellite and airborne remote-sensing technologies have also been proven capable of mapping facies distributions in variable water depths at platform-scale. This work assembles meter-scale facies maps spread through the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. The portfolio spans examples of the dominant motifs of shallow-marine carbonate deposition, including island- and continental-attached shelves, isolated atolls, banks, and ramps. Exceptional control on the topography and distribution of geobodies for these sites is facilitated through fused-analysis of high-resolution satellite imagery and airborne bathymetric LiDAR. To enable comparison both within and between sites, the facies mosaic for each platform is partitioned on the basis of three environments of depositions, EODs, that encompass the gradients in energy from the outer margin to the sheltered interior. Our results constrain the diversity in morphometric behavior within different EODs and between platform-types and reaffirm this to be a powerful and appropriate strategy to parameterize geobody distributions in the Modern. By extension, it is also a method to extrapolate modern-data for interpretation of ancient examples in seismic and outcrop.

 


We hope to see you all there!

Your GEOTOPICS Coordinators,

Keri Vinas and Arash Sharifi