Development of an amino acid racemization database for coastal plain sites in North Carolina
Date
2004
Authors
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
An extensive collection of unpublished and published AAR, radiometric and
taphonomic characteristic data for mollusk samples from coastal North and South
Carolina have been arranged into a relational database. Organizing over two decades of
regional AAR data is particularly important for ongoing chronostratigraphic studies of
coastal North Carolina, where active study of an extensive Quaternary sequence is
underway as part of the North Carolina Coastal Geology cooperative.
A relational database design allows for integrated querying of multiple parameter
datasets and ensures the database remains adaptable by removing any dependency on
software. We also make use of current data sharing standards for the Microsoft®
Windows® platform, employing data analysis software and GIS. Examination of this
integrated dataset using advanced visualization techniques should improve understanding
of the North Carolina coastal plain stratigraphy and help refine current
chronostratigraphic estimates for the region. Furthermore, it builds on efforts to hone the
accuracy and applicability of the AAR method as a chronological tool by incorporating
numerous analyses over a thoroughly studied region such as the North Carolina coastal
plain. Future endeavors such as web accessibility of the database and possible
incorporation into a larger data repository is assisted with proper design early on. In
addition, a user-friendly database interface has been developed for continued
chromatographic data collection for an active AAR laboratory.
Description
Keywords
Mollusk, Atlantic coastal plain, Amino acid racemization (AAR) analyses, Geochronology