Coastal Zones and Oceanography

Marine Geology and GIS application

Marine geology or geological oceanography is the study of the history and structure of the ocean floor. It involves geophysical, geochemical, sedimentological and paleontological investigations of the ocean floor and coastal zone. Marine geology has strong ties to physical oceanography.

Marine geological studies were of extreme importance in providing the critical evidence for sea floor spreading and plate tectonics in the years following World War II. The deep ocean floor is the last essentially unexplored frontier and detailed mapping in support of both military objectives and economic objectives drives the research i.e. in Petroleum Field.

The physical, biological and social resources of our coastal and marine environment threatened by new global warming system have raised many questions. In terrestrial realm GIS has been widely used and applied to assist in precision management of agriculture, forestry, urban planning, business, and national defence. There is now equally strong demand for precision management of coastal and marine resources. The development of protected marine area which requires scientists and managers to asses resources usage having area time approach. So spatial as well as temporal approach needed. It requires having balance between optimum usage of resources and biological conservation . Marine GIS has wide range of applications and can be categorized as coastal, oceanographic, and fisheries. Oceanography describes mapping and measurement of major oceans and fisheries concern with management process of fisheries.