Expanding the potential of trace fossil analysis for practical applications

科技是研究动物足迹和洞穴的化石（又名“痕迹化石”）。技术对确定沉积岩的沉积环境有很大的帮助，已成为沉积岩描述的重要组成部分。技术从业者严重依赖化石记录的解释，因此科学从现代洞穴的特征（又名“痕迹”）中受益匪浅。建议开展两方面的相互关联的研究项目：(1)研究挖掘行为及其对各种沉积和地球化学过程的响应；(2)描述了现代海洋无脊椎动物穴居活动的地球化学特征，并将地球化学特征与岩石记录中的微量化石相联系。这项研究将以几年的成功研究为基础，其具体目标是改进对岩石记录中痕量化石出现的解释（沉积史和埋藏史），并将研究结果应用于基本问题，如解释沉积矿床、协助识别和圈定储层质量岩石以及描述储层岩石中的生物成因结构。研究的具体成果将包括一个新的框架，用于识别和分类动物对沉积变量的反应，这样非技术人员就可以从岩石记录中得出详细的解释（对行业从业者特别重要），以及一种系统的方法，将现代洞穴地球化学与鱼类化石联系起来，这样沉积环境的化学方面（以及随后的成岩过程）可以从岩石记录中识别出来。该计划旨在让研究生和本科生参与研究的每个阶段，以优化知识传播的数量，并培养出几名高素质的人才。

Ichnology is the study of the fossilized tracks and burrows (aka "trace fossils") of animals. Ichnology has become an important part of sedimentary rock description as it greatly helps in determining the environment of deposition of sedimentary rocks. Ichnological practitioners rely heavily on interpretations from the fossil record, so the science benefits greatly from characterization of modern burrows (aka "traces"). Outlined is a proposal to engage in a two fold, interrelated research program that will: (1) investigate the burrowing behaviors, and behavioral responses to variable sedimentary and geochemical processes; and, (2) characterize the geochemistry associated with the burrowing activities of modern marine invertebrates and associate that geochemistry with trace fossil occurrences in the rock record. The research will build on several years of successful research and has the specific aims of improving interpretations (depositional history and burial history) of trace-fossil occurrences in the rock record, and applying the findings to fundamental issues such as interpreting sedimentary deposits, assisting in the identification and delineation of reservoir quality rocks and characterizing biogenic fabrics in reservoir rocks. Specific outcomes of the research will include a new framework for identifying and classifying animal response to depositional variables so that non-ichnologists can draw detailed interpretations from the rock record (particularly important for industry practitioners) and a systematic approach to linking modern burrow geochemistry to ichnofossils so that chemical aspects of the sedimentary environment (and subsequent diagenetic processes) can be identified from the rock record. The program is designed to engage graduate and undergraduate students in every phase of the research to optimize the amount of knowledge dissemination and to produce several highly qualified personnel.