Skip to main content

Three-Dimensional Morphometry of Ooids in Oolites: A New Tool for More Accurate and Precise Paleoenvironmental Interpretation

Author(s): Howes, Bolton; Mehra, Akshay; Maloof, Adam C

Download
To refer to this page use: http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/pr18s4jp16
Abstract: The prevalence of ooids in the stratigraphic record, and their association with shallow-water carbonate environments, make ooids an important paleoenvironmental indicator. Recent advances in the theoretical understanding of ooid morphology, along with empirical studies from Turks and Caicos, Great Salt Lake, and The Bahamas, have demonstrated that the morphology of ooids is indicative of depositional environment and hydraulic conditions. To apply this knowledge from modern environments to the stratigraphic record of Earth’s history, researchers measure the size and shape of lithified ooids on two-dimensional surfaces (i.e., thin sections), often assuming that random 2D slices intersect the nuclei and that the orientation of the ooids is known. Here, we demonstrate that these assumptions rarely are true, resulting in errors of up to 35% for metrics like major axis length. We present a method for making 3D reconstructions by serial grinding and imaging, which enables accurate measurement of the morphology of individual ooids within an oolite, as well as the sorting and porosity of a sample. We also provide three case studies that use the morphology of ooids in oolites to extract environmental information. Each case study demonstrates that 2D measurements can be useful if the environmental signal is large relative to the error from 2D measurements. However, 3D measurements substantially improve the accuracy and precision of environmental interpretations. This study focuses on oolites, but errors from 2D measurements are not unique to oolites; this method can be used to extract accurate grain and porosity measurements from any coherent, granular sample.
Publication Date: 22-Feb-2021
Citation: Howes, Bolton, Akshay Mehra, and Adam C. Maloof. "Three‐Dimensional Morphometry of Ooids in Oolites: a new tool for more accurate and precise paleoenvironmental interpretation." Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface 126, no. 4 (2021). doi:10.1029/2020JF005601.
DOI: doi:10.1029/2020JF005601
ISSN: 2169-9003
EISSN: 2169-9011
Type of Material: Journal Article
Journal/Proceeding Title: Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface
Version: Final published version. Article is made available in OAR by the publisher's permission or policy.



Items in OAR@Princeton are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.