Automated Image Analysis for Rapid Biostratigraphic Data Collection

钙质超微化石生物地层学是勘探和生产过程中的一个关键工具，提供了跨油田和油田之间的强大的高分辨率地层对比。在钻井作业中，实时钻井现场生物地层学对于地质导向和地质封堵活动都是必不可少的。这些操作目前依赖于用标准光学显微镜技术深入分析超微化石内容。该研究将建立在显微镜和图像捕获自动化的最新发展，以及“智能”图像处理和分类算法的基础上，开发一种新的自动化超微化石组合数据收集系统。该项目将侧重于高通量自动图像捕获，使用图像处理算法，能够在颗粒分类，识别和形态分析的高技能。首先，该项目将侧重于从澳大利亚西北部大陆架上的Browse盆地恢复的一系列连续的碎屑和碳酸盐混合沉积物，这些沉积物跨越了过去1000万年。这些沉积物产生良好的钙质超微化石恢复和保存，已经有很好的古地磁和南极有孔虫年龄控制，其中，以验证拟议的新的生物地层学研究。该项目直接建立在首席主管Dunkley Jones的研究基础上，他在超微化石生物地层学方面拥有约15年的经验。该项目将得到Stephan Lautenschlager博士和计算机科学学院计算机视觉专家Ales Leonardis教授的支持，Stephan Lautenschlager博士的研究重点是脊椎动物的3D数字成像和恢复。我们还与项目合作伙伴Manuel Vieira博士密切合作，他将为行业相关应用提供直接指导，并将其与壳牌现有的远程自动显微镜实验联系起来，用于现场应用。

Calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy is a key tool within the exploration and production process, providing robust high-resolution stratigraphic correlations across and between fields. Within drilling operations, real-time rig-site biostratigraphy can be essential for both geo-steering and geo-stopping activities. These operations currently rely on intensively analysing nannofossil content with standard light microscopy techniques. This studentship will build on recent developments in microscope and image capture automation, together with "smart" image processing and classification algorithms, to develop a new system for automated nannofossil assemblage data collection. This project will focus on high- throughput automated image capture using image-processing algorithms capable of high-skill in particle classification, identification and morphometric analysis. In the first instance the project will focus on a continuous sequence of mixed clastic and carbonate sediments, spanning the last 10 million years, recovered from the Browse Basin on the NW Australian shelf. These sediments yield excellent calcareous nannofossil recovery and preservation and already have good paleomagnetic and planktonic foraminiferal age control within which to situate the proposed new biostratigraphic study. This project directly builds on the research of lead supervisor Dunkley Jones, who has ~15 years of experience in nannofossil biostratigraphy. The project will be supported by Dr Stephan Lautenschlager whose research focuses on the 3D digital imaging and restoration of vertebrates, and Prof. Ales Leonardis, an expert in computer vision with the School of Computer Sciences. We also work closely with project partner, Dr Manuel Vieira, who will provide direct guidance on industry-relevant applications, and make the link to Shell's existing experiments in remote, automated microscopy for rig-site applications.