--> Abstract: Integrated Approaches To Studying Sea-Level Changes: Examples From The Gulf Of Mexico And The New Jersey Margin Using Ips Software, by C. Olson and A. Gary; #90928 (1999).

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OLSON, HILARY C.1 and ANTHONY GARY2
1Institute for Geophysics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
2Earth and Geoscience Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT

Abstract: Integrated Approaches to Studying Sea-Level Changes: Examples from the Gulf of Mexico and the New Jersey Margin using IPS Software

Integration of chemostratigraphy, biostratigraphy and lithostratigraphy from both the New Jersey margin (ODP Leg 174A and STRATAFORM studies) and the Gulf of Mexico provides insight into the history of climate and sea-level changes and their associated mineralogical, biological and sedimentological signatures. The use of interactive workstation software (IPS) has greatly improved the efficiency and rigor of these types of integrated studies.

Mineralogical signatures are primarily derived from total carbonate analysis. Total carbonate curves indicate periods of increased carbonate accumulation (generally warmer climate), as well as periods of carbonate dilution by hemipelagic and other types of sedimentation (generally cooler climate). The biostratigraphic signature establishes a relative sea-level curve (benthic foraminifera), increases confidence in the record of climate change (planktonic foraminifera), and provides a chronostratigraphic framework (nannofossils and foraminifera) for these sea-level and climate changes. Logs (and core) are crucial to understanding the response of depositional processes (i.e. slumps, debris flows, turbidites) to these changes in sea level. Understanding the relationship between depositional processes, climate changes and sea-level history is key to the predictive capability of exploration geoscience. IPS software promotes the integration of these various data sets in a rapid manner and displays the interpretations in a manner easily accessible to all geoscientists.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90928©1999 AAPG Annual Convention, San Antonio, Texas