Print this pageNAGIHARA, SEIICHI1, JAMES N. PIPER2, and E. WILLIAM BEHRENS3
1Department of Geosciences,
University of Houston, Houston, TX
2Applied Research Laboratories,
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
3Department
of Marine Science, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
Abstract: Fine-Scale Geomorphology, Downslope Sediment Transport, and Salt Diapirism on the Texas Continental Shelf and Slope: A GIS-Based Analysis
There have been several sets of digital
elevation models (DEMs) of the northern Gulf of Mexico available in the
public domain. Particularly, those based on the recent swath bathymetry
surveys by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
yield 250-m grid resolution and have been used widely. Unfortunately, the
NOAA datasets cover only ~20% of the Texas continental slope, while they
cover most of the Louisiana slope. Thus, researchers have had relatively
less opportunity to understand the fine-scale geomorphology of the Texas
slope. In this study, we have produced a set of highresolution DEMs for
the Texas continental shelf and slope by compiling previously unpublished
track-line bathymetry data from University of Texas, track-line data of
other academic institutions, and NOAA's own hydrographic survey data. In
addition, we have compiled digital databases for salt distribution, seafloor
sediment types, and 
geophysical
data available in this area, using the
information from previous studies of our own and others. These new databases
and DEMs have been integrated within a framework of Geographic Information
Systems. New, GIS-based analysis adds significant refinement to our understanding
of the nature of the downslope transport and salt diapirism in this area.
For example, the morphologies and reliefs of individual salt diapirs are
much better defined than in previously published topographic maps. In addition,
some new downslope sediment transport pathways have been identified.
AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90928©1999 AAPG Annual Convention, San Antonio, Texas