HR: 1330h
AN: OS52A-0889    [PDF]
TI: Efficacy of two Measures of Relative Sea Level in Predicting Stratal Geometry and Surface Morphology in an Experiment with Varying Base Level
AU: * Strong, N
EM: stro0068@umn.edu
AF: National Center for Earth Surface Dynamics, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory University of Minnesota Mississippi River at 3rd Ave SE, MInneapolis, MN 55414 United States
AU: Sheets, B A
EM: shee0076@umn.edu
AF: National Center for Earth Surface Dynamics, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory University of Minnesota Mississippi River at 3rd Ave SE, MInneapolis, MN 55414 United States
AU: Wonsuck, K
EM: kimx0826@umn.edu
AF: National Center for Earth Surface Dynamics, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory University of Minnesota Mississippi River at 3rd Ave SE, MInneapolis, MN 55414 United States
AU: Kelberer, M
EM: mkelberer@attbi.com
AF: National Center for Earth Surface Dynamics, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory University of Minnesota Mississippi River at 3rd Ave SE, MInneapolis, MN 55414 United States
AU: Paola, C
EM: cpaola@umn.edu
AF: National Center for Earth Surface Dynamics, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory University of Minnesota Mississippi River at 3rd Ave SE, MInneapolis, MN 55414 United States
AB: Using experimental data, we compare two methods of measuring relative sea level as predictors of stratal and surface morphology. The first method is the "local" relative sea level (LRSL), defined as the sum of rate of eustatic sea level change and local subsidence rate. The second is the shoreline-following RSL (SFRSL), which is the local RSL evaluated at the shoreline as the shoreline moves across the depositional surface. The two methods are compared using data from an experiment conducted in the eXperimental EarthScape (XES) facility at St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. The experiment was designed to investigate morphodynamic and stratigraphic response to both isolated and superimposed slow and rapid base-level cycles, in a fluvial deltaic system. The experimental system was subject to steady, nonuniform passive-margin style subsidence and constant rates of sediment and water supply. The experimental conditions were ideal for evaluating and comparing these two measures of relative sea level. We find that the LRSL variation does a good job predicting overall stratal preservation of sea level cycles as a function of downstream position in the basin: preserved cycle thickness is predicted well using the relative vertical distances between successive diminishing minima in the LRSL curve at each position. On the other hand, the SFRSL correlates well to the temporal history of incised valley initiation and development.
DE: 1815 Erosion and sedimentation
DE: 1824 Geomorphology (1625)
DE: 4203 Analytical modeling
DE: 4219 Continental shelf processes
SC: Ocean Sciences [OS]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting