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[Thesis Title] ABSTRACT Transgressive reef morphology evolution: A qualitative and quantitative comparison of Uppermost Pleistocene and Upper Cambrian reefs in offshore and Central Texas (USA) by Pankaj Khanna A better understanding of the morphological evolution of modern coralgal reefs can potentially help to decipher the forcing mechanisms that influence the evolution of ancient carbonate reefs. In this study, a comparison is made between the characteristics and interpreted evolution of Uppermost Pleistocene drowned coralgal reefs stretching along the south Texas shelf edge and Upper Cambrian microbial reefs outcropping in Central Texas. The similarities and differences between the two settings make an interesting comparison, and the description of their morphology provides “models” that can be used to better understand other reef examples. Among the major similarities, both settings represent low-latitude, shallow water settings within the photic zone and near the shelf edge, and are mixed carbonate siliciclastic systems, whereas the nature of the reef builders in each case is a main difference. A primary forcing mechanism for the modern example - sea level fluctuation – is well constrained, as the most recent transgression following the Last Glacial Maximum can be directly tied to the morphological evolution of the Uppermost Pleistocene coralgal reefs. The initial transgression triggered a clear switch from shallow coastal siliciclastics to neritic coralgal reefs on the south Texas shelf edge banks. A similar switch is also observed at the base of the Upper Cambrian microbial reefs where the system changes from mixed carbonate-clastic to pure carbonate system. Based on these comparisons, it is demonstrated that an Upper Cambrian transgression led to the establishment of microbial reefs upon a broad ramp-like setting by providing enough accommodation and sufficient water quality (minimal turbidity, good circulation) for buildup growth. Acknowledgments गु셁र्ब्ह्र मा गु셁셍वषर ्ुԃ गु셁र्देवो महेश्वरԃ । गु셁रेव परंर्ब्ह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमԃ ॥ With the two lines in Sanskrit, I wish to express my sincere gratitude to my teachers. The shloka (the two lines in Sanskrit) means that a teacher takes a hand, opens a mind, touches a heart, and shapes the future. I would like to thank my advisor Prof. André Droxler for his continuous support, time, efforts, and guidance before and during my research at Rice University. His insight, advice, and confidence in my abilities have strengthened me not just as a scientist but also as a person. He has been my mentor, family, as well as friend. He introduced me to new concepts of geological science and the culture of the new country in which I arrived five years ago. I experienced and participated in technologically advanced research cruise onboard R/V Falkor with him, as well as collected high resolution data with drones for my PhD projects. My PhD experience could have never been as good as I have experienced at Rice with André. It all started in October of 2011, where I first met André for breakfast in Mumbai, India, and that breakfast led me to the most wonderful and memorable journey of my life, ‘PhD’. Thank you André!! I would also like to thank Dr. Paul M. (Mitch) Harris, who also mentored me throughout my PhD. He is a source of infinite knowledge and has been an inspiration and a great friend. Thanks to Dr. Jeff Nittrouer for mentoring me on one of my projects. The discussions with Dr. Nittrouer have always helped me focus in the v right direction. Dr. Michael Pyrcz mentored me during an internship at Chevron in summer 2014 and is also on my PhD committee. His support and guidance in statistical modelling has helped me conduct and showcase my research numerically. I learn something new every single time I have had discussion with Dr. Pyrcz. I would also like to thank Dr. Daniel Lehrmann for mentoring me on one of my PhD projects. I have learned a lot while working in the field, as well as discussion during research meetings and consortium meetings with Dr. Lehrmann. Thanks to Dr. Julia Morgan and Dr. Janet Siefert for serving on my PhD thesis committee. I would like to thank Dr. Vitor Abreu and Keriann Pederson, for selecting me to TA Sequence Stratigraphy class four years in a row at Rice University. The discussions with Dr. Abreu and Ms. Pederson in the class as well as in the field helped me learn and grow more outside my area of expertise. Thanks to Dr. Jeroen Kenter and Dr. Beatriz Garcia-Fresca for the scientific discussions and for guiding, supporting me. Most of my research was carried out on private ranches in Mason, Texas which were closed for the past 40 years. I would like to thank Mr. Don Shepard, Rosey, Scott Zesch, Gene Zesch, and Patsy Zesch, for allowing us to carry out research on their ranches. While in the field, I became very good friend with the managers of the Shepard Ranch. Mark and PK (Mark Krauss, and Priscilla Krauss) have been like a family for me and I cannot thank them enough for their love and support. Tony, Tonya, Scott, Manny are few friends from many others in Mason, who have through these past years been great friends in Mason and provided their vi continuous support. I would also like to thank Robert and Brent for helping out in collecting the drone imagery in Mason, Texas. I am grateful to my friends - Aakash, Deepak, Divye, Kiboy , Renuka, Sajjad, Tarini, Tushar, Shreya Sourabh, and my labmates and friends from Rice, who have continuously supported me throughout my journey at Rice. I would especially like to thank the Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences staff for their endless assistance and guidance. Thanks to many collaborators and co-authors at Rice University, Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Trinity University, University of Bremen - Germany, University of South Florida, Center for Tropical Marine Ecology, Bremen- Germany, University of Genoa- Italy, Schmidt Ocean Institute, University of Maimi, University of Texas at Austin, Chevron, Statoil, Shell, and Conocophillips. I am grateful for the scientific party and crew of R/V Falkor for mapping south Texas Banks which provided high resolution multibeam data and shallow seismic data for my research. I would also like to thank Camerawings - Robert Youens for collecting the drone imagery for one of my PhD projects. Without endless support, patience from my wife Priyam, my brother and sister in-law, Suraj (My inspiration for a PhD, his dream- now a reality) and Priyanka Khanna, my sister and brother in law, Swati Khanna Dahiya and Aditya Dahiya and my parents, Rajinder and Rajnandani Khanna, none of this would have been possible. I would also like to remember my grandparents Lt. Shri Dhanraj Nagi and Lt. Shri Swaran Nagi, and Madan Lal Khanna and Lt. Kanta Khanna, who always supported me and guided me in my early life. vii This work is dedicated to my parents Rajinder (Dad) and Rajnandani Khanna (Mom). It was their efforts and sacrifices in life that put me on this path and enabled me to achieve the milestone called PhD. viii Contents Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..ii Acknowledgments ..................................................................................................... iv Contents .................................................................................................................. viii List of Figures ............................................................................................................ xi List of Tables ............................................................................................................. xv List of Equations ....................................................................................................... xvi General Introduction ............................................................................................... xvii Coralgal Reef Morphology Records Punctuated Sea-Level Rise during Last Deglaciation .................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1. Introduction .............................................................................................................. 2 1.2. Methods ................................................................................................................... 8 1.2.1. Radiocarbon Date Calibration ........................................................................... 8 1.2.2. Data Collection R/V Falkor ................................................................................. 9 1.2.3. Hypsometric Curves – Data Analysis ................................................................. 9 1.2.4. Computing Paleo Terrace Depth ..................................................................... 10 1.3. Results .................................................................................................................... 11 1.3.1. True Coralgal Reef Morphologies .................................................................... 11 1.3.2. Ultimate Coralgal Reef Demise ........................................................................ 14 1.3.3. Terrace Hypsometric Curves ............................................................................ 15 1.3.4. Paleo-Terrace Depths and Greenland Climate Record .................................... 19 1.4. Discussion ............................................................................................................... 22 Submerged reef terraces in the Maldivian Archipelago (Indian Ocean): heritage of
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