VPW: Sequence Stratigraphic Backstripping: Generating a Cenozoic Eustatic Sea-Level Curve

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This research establishes the magnitude and timing eustatic sea- level for much of the Cenozoic by studying the subsidence of 3 thermal basins, The Baltimore Canyon Trough (offshore New Jersey), The Northeast Gulf of Mexico and the North Sea Basin. In each location the eustatic component of accommodation space will be separated from the tectonic and sediment components via a sequence stratigraphic backstripping. Procedure generation and study of the North Sea Basin are funded by NSF grant EAR-9506572 to the P.I., Dr. Michelle Kominz. Sequence stratigraphic data coupled with well logs and crustal thicknesses will be the input. Flexural backstripping of this data produces accommodation space by removing the effects of sediment loading. Separation of the eustatic and tectonic components of accommodation space will be possible based on their unique temporal and spatial properties. Forward modeling of each basin is required to determine the effects of sediment on the thermal history of the lithosphere and to determine the flexural rigidity of the lithosphere as a function of time. Finally, the eustatic results of each basin will be integrated to remove regional tectonism and to obtain a Pre-Pleistocene Cenozoic eustatic curve. Interactive activities include: teaching upper level undergraduate/graduate courses in Marine Geology and co-teaching a graduate course on Sequence Stratigraphy and Backstripping. In addition, Dr. Kominz will present individual lectures or sets of lectures in additional classes including Introduction to Marine Science, Introductory Geology, Stratigraphy and Geophysics.