Marine Geomorphometry

Geomorphometry is the science of quantitative terrain characterization and analysis, and has traditionally focused on the investigation of terrestrial and planetary landscapes. However, applications of marine geomorphometry have now moved beyond the simple adoption of techniques developed for terrestrial studies, driven by the rise in the acquisition of high-resolution seafloor data and by the availability of user-friendly spatial analytical tools. Considering that the seafloor represents 71% of the surface of our planet, this is an important step towards understanding the Earth in its entirety. This volume is the first one dedicated to marine applications of geomorphometry. It showcases studies addressing the five steps of geomorphometry: sampling a surface (e.g., the seafloor), generating a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) from samples, preprocessing the DTM for subsequent analyses (e.g., correcting for errors and artifacts), deriving terrain attributes and/or extracting terrain features from the DTM, and using and explaining those terrain attributes and features in a given context. Throughout these studies, authors address a range of challenges and issues associated with applying geomorphometric techniques to the complex marine environment, including issues related to spatial scale, data quality, and linking seafloor topography with physical, geological, biological, and ecological processes. As marine geomorphometry becomes increasingly recognized as a sub-discipline of geomorphometry, this volume brings together a collection of research articles that reflect the types of studies that are helping to chart the course for the future of marine geomorphometry.

Geomorphometry is the science of quantitative terrain characterization and analysis, and has traditionally focused on the investigation of terrestrial and planetary landscapes. However, applications of marine geomorphometry have now moved beyond the simple adoption of techniques developed for terrestrial studies, driven by the rise in the acquisition of high-resolution seafloor data and by the availability of user-friendly spatial analytical tools. Considering that the seafloor represents 71% of the surface of our planet, this is an important step towards understanding the Earth in its entirety.This volume is the first one dedicated to marine applications of geomorphometry. It showcases studies addressing the five steps of geomorphometry: sampling a surface (e.g., the seafloor), generating a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) from samples, preprocessing the DTM for subsequent analyses (e.g., correcting for errors and artifacts), deriving terrain attributes and/or extracting terrain features from the DTM, and using and explaining those terrain attributes and features in a given context. Throughout these studies, authors address a range of challenges and issues associated with applying geomorphometric techniques to the complex marine environment, including issues related to spatial scale, data quality, and linking seafloor topography with physical, geological, biological, and ecological processes. As marine geomorphometry becomes increasingly recognized as a sub-discipline of geomorphometry, this volume brings together a collection of research articles that reflect the types of studies that are helping to chart the course for the future of marine geomorphometry.

Seafloor Geomorphology as Benthic Habitat: GeoHab Atlas of Seafloor Geomorphic Features and Benthic Habitats, Second Edition, provides an updated synthesis of seabed geomorphology and benthic habitats. This new edition includes new case studies from all geographic areas and habitats that were not included in the previous edition, including the Arctic, Asia, Africa and South America. Using multibeam sonar, the benthic ecology of submarine features, such as fjords, sand banks, coral reefs, seamounts, canyons, mud volcanoes and spreading ridges is revealed in unprecedented detail. This timely release offers new understanding for researchers in Marine Biodiversity, environmental managers, ecologists, and more. Explores the relationships between seabed geomorphology, oceanography and biology Provides global case studies which directly focus on habitats, including both biological and physical data Describes ways to detect change in the marine environment (change in the condition of benthic habitats), a critical aspect for judging the performance of policies and legislation

Several years ago I realized there was a need for a marine geomorphology book. As a de facto teacher of new hires in the Bathymetry Division of the Naval Oceanographic Office, I wrote and updated that training manual four times between 1980 and 1997. After I retired in 1998, I decided to do just that, using the materials that I had learned about and taught over the years. However, what was really "out there" on the ocean floor and what was supposed to be out there were not the same. As the surveyed regions evolved, the realization came that things were not as they should be with the tectonic working hypothesis. My paper content evolved with the ocean data, so much so that trying to get that published in the main-stream journals became more and more difficult for whatever reasons. Using all of the survey data for the north Atlantic basin yielded what we called a "superchart," one which showed the basin in its entirety. Initially, I was thrown into a hotbed of NAVOCEANO's researchers in 1973, working with Peter Vogt primarily for about five months. Daily talks with Peter, Bill Ruddiman, Allen Lowrie, Fred Bowles, Troy Holcombe, and constant exposure to Lou Hemler taught me what was then known about the ocean floor. Dave Epp came to NAVOCEANO on an ONR contract to look at the location of all the seamounts in that basin. Our study revealed a number considerably less than that which had been proposed, about 900. We published that data. From the same superchart I constructed a basin-wide diagram of the fracture valleys. We presented both at an AGU meeting. The astute observer noticed that all of the seamount chains were associated with the ends of the fracture valleys. This tied in with a few of the surveys I had been senior scientist on in the Pacific where we discovered many seamounts lying in the fracture zones. Will Sager, Don Hussong, Patty Fryer, Brian Tucholke, and Brian Taylor were all allowed in to see the NAVOCEANO data bases on Office of Naval Research contracts, and I had the pleasure of working with them all. They taught me a lot about plate tectonics, but mainly they taught me to look at the data and see what was there. At that time, the late 1980s, I realized that all was not as predicted by the plate tectonic hypothesis, but was still able to get ready acceptance of papers on whatever I was writing about. This was soon to change. By the early 1990s I ceased publishing for a time to digest other aspects, such as earthquake populations at subduction zones. The realization that deep earthquakes occurred only at nine spots worldwide was another eye-opener. Trying to get this information published became more of a hassle that it was worth, as I was getting tired of butting heads with the stone walls of main-stream journal reviewers. In fact, it became next to impossible. One author, tired of butting heads with me, published some drivel trying to attack the data by saying that the positions were incorrect. I admit that I was not allowed to say the minutes, as in degrees- seconds-minutes, but we're not talking about minuscule features here. Most of these are at least 50 nm in diameter! At this time a new book in the NAVOCEANO library was brought to my attention by my old friend, Allen Lowrie. In it was a paper citing some of my work. I wrote to the author, thinking him to be a bright young star on the horizon, that I had found a kindred spirit. Little did I know that the primary author was a world-famous exploration geologist who was actually older than I. We collaborated for the rest of his life, and I started publishing in different journals. Life anew! In the early 1990s we were able to access the information from the GEOSAT, and Earth-orbitting satellite collecting gravity data. Applying a high-pass filter to that data revealed basin-wide trends. A comparison of the GEOSAT data of the north Atlantic fracture valley diagram I had done a few years before r

This book on the current state of knowledge of submarine geomorphology aims to achieve the goals of the Submarine Geomorphology working group, set up in 2013, by establishing submarine geomorphology as a field of research, disseminating its concepts and techniques among earth scientists and professionals, and encouraging students to develop their skills and knowledge in this field. Editors have invited 30 experts from around the world to contribute chapters to this book, which is divided into 4 sections – (i) Introduction & history, (ii) Data & methods, (ii) Submarine landforms & processes and (iv) Conclusions & future directions. Each chapter provides a review of a topic, establishes the state-of-the-art, identifies the key research questions that need to be addressed, and delineates a strategy on how to achieve this. Submarine geomorphology is a priority for many research institutions, government authorities and industries globally. The book is useful for undergraduate and graduate students, and professionals with limited training in this field.