NAGIHARA, SEIICHI¹, JAMES N. PIPER², and E. WILLIAM BEHRENS^3
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study, we have produced a set of highresolution DEMs for the Texas continental shelf and slope by compiling previously unpublished track-line bathymetry data from University of Texas, track-line data of other academic institutions, and NOAA's own hydrographic survey data.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