Sediment colour as a record of climate change

Sediment colour is a valuable indicator in paleoenvironmental and climate studies due to its ability to reflect various depositional and post-depositional processes. The colour of sediments is influenced by several factors including mineral content, organic matter, oxidation states (hence oxygenated or reducing conditions), and grain size. For example, light-coloured sediments may indicate presence of silica or carbonate, grey and green colours usually indicate reducing conditions, whilst black or dark-coloured sediments are often rich in organic matter. Hence by analysing sediment cores, it is possible to use colour as a first-order proxy for past environmental conditions and climate changes over time.

The aim of this project is to develop simple software to convert colour or greyscale images of laminated core sediments into meaningful data that can be used to infer past climate conditions. This project builds on the foundational work of Nederbragt et al. (2000) and focuses on extracting sediment colour information from digital images of sediment core surfaces. The project will utilize high-resolution digital images of sediment core surfaces. This method is particularly useful for highly-laminated sediments where layers may occur at a centimetre scale or less. The user-friendly software will be designed to extract colour information from these digital images, converting RGB and/greyscale information into quantitative data that can be plotted through time. Changes in sediment colour can be correlated directly with variations in one or a few sediment components. Colour measurements will be calibrated against discrete geochemical and sedimentological analyses to ensure accuracy and reliability. The case study for this project involves a highly-laminated core from one of the pink lakes in the Esperance region. This location provides an excellent opportunity to apply and test the software, given the unique sedimentary characteristics of the pink lakes and the potential for a high-resolution climate record covering several millennia. Potential exists to publish this as a collaborative study, with genuine contribution to the field of paleoenvironmental and climate studies.

Nederbragt, A.J., Thurow, J.W., Merrill, R.B. (2000) Data report: Color records from the California Margin: Proxy indicators for sediment composition and climatic change. July 2000Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program: Scientific Results 167(167). DOI: 10.2973/odp.proc.sr.167.236.2000

Client


Contact: INGRID WARD
Phone: 0450546156
Email: [email protected]
Preferred contact: Phone,Email
Location: UWA

IP Exploitation Model


The IP exploitation model requested by the Client is: Creative Commons (open source) http://creativecommons.org.au/


Department of Computer Science & Software Engineering
The University of Western Australia
Last modified: 12 July 2024
Modified By: Michael Wise 		UWA