abstract gis
Dreamtime: The Continental Slope
Chris Jenkins
chris.jenkins@colorado.edu

 Institute of Arctic & Alpine Research (INSTAAR)
 University of Colorado at Boulder
 1560 30th StreetCampus Box 450
 Boulder CO, 80309-0450
 Tel: 303-735-5250 Fax: 303-492-6388


  • BSc (Sydney, Australia), PhD (Cambridge, UK) 

  • Research Fellow in Marine Geosciences, Sydney Univ., 1983-90 

  • Senior Research Fellow in Marine Geosciences, Sydney Univ, 1991-2001 

  • Senior Research Scientist and Fellow in Environmental Computing, INSTAAR, Univ. Colorado, 2002-

  • Consultancies and secondments with agencies and companies: marine geophysical acquisition, multibeam surveying, marine error analysis, marine tailings disposal monitoring, marine platform foundations sampling and analysis, linguistic data processing in geology, shipboard database/GIS systems, deep seafloor sediment sampling and photography, marine shallow seismic interpretation, 1985-


Research Programs

dbSEABED - An Information Processing System for the World's Seafloor
Seabed information processing leading to mappings on local to global scales; development of new data mining and linguistic processes, development of GIS visualizations for seabed data. dbSEABED is currently used in labs on 3 continents. [Link to dbSEABED ]

Marine Substrates, Northern Gulf of Mexico

Characterize spatial and temporal distribution patterns of seafloor sediment, rock and shelled benthos for waters of the states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. Funded by the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission and supported by the US Geological Survey, amongst others.

Sediments of the United States EEZ: usSEABED
Sediment mapping of the US EEZ, supplying software and methods to USGS Woods Hole, Santa Cruz, St Petersburg. [ Link to recent USGS Data Publications:    ATLANTIC_MARGIN      PACIFIC_MARGIN      GULF_OF_MEXICO ]

Seafloor patchiness spatial variability, and the problem of grid interpolation
The University of Texas (Austin) and INSTAAR are developing methods to: (i) characterise the patchiness of seafloor environments, and (ii) develop software to generate the best possible grid mappings of seafloor substrates for use in environmental, navy, and other applications. [Link to UTIG PROJECT DESCRIPTION ]

New Computing Environments for Lake and Seabed Core Analysis
Corewall is a digital workbench for laboratory processing and researching of seafloor cores. It is NSF-supported, coordinated with the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), and collaborative between the University of Minnesota, University of Illinois at Chicago, Lamont Doherty Geological Observatory, and University of Colorado, amongst others. INSTAAR's contribution is CoreNavigator, a VRML 3D visual indexing for stratigraphic databases. [ Link to COREWALL Link to CORENAVIGATOR ]




These projects are highly collaborative - for data, ideas and expertise, user applications, and funding. Here is a collection of logos for the collaborating groups.




Publications, Articles, Abstracts, Reports

Published papers

  • Goff, J.A., Jenkins, C.J. & Williams, S.J. 2008. Seabed mapping and characterization of sediment variability using the usSEABED data base. Continental Shelf Research, 28(4-5), 614-633.
  • Jenkins, C. and Wever, T. 2007. Naval Mine Impact Burial Prediction using Seafloor Database, Experiment, and GIS Technologies. Marine Geores. & Geotech., 25(3), 199-208. [DOI: 10.1080/10641190701688734]
  • Goff, J.A., Jenkins, C.J. & Calder, B. 2006. Maximum likelihood resampling of noisy, spatially correlated data. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 7(8), Q08003.
  • Li, F., Dyt, C., Griffiths, C.M., Jenkins, C., Rutherford, M., and Chittleborough, J. 2005. Seabed Sediment Transport and Offshore Pipeline Risks in the Australian Southeast. APPEA Journal 45, 523-534. 
  • Kulp, M., Penland,S., Williams,S.J., Jenkins, C., Flocks, J., and Kindinger. J., 2005. Geologic Framework, Evolution and Sediment Resources for Restoration of the Louisiana Coastal Zone. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue, 44, p. 56-71.
  • Porter-Smith, R., Harris, P.T., Anderson, O., Coleman, R., Greenslade, D. and Jenkins, C.J., 2004. Classification of the Australian continental shelf based on predicted sediment threshold exceedance from tidal currents and swell waves. Marine Geology 211, 1-20.
  • Goff, J. A., L, A. Mayer, P. Traykovski, I. Buynevich, R. Wilkens, R. Raymond, G. Glang, R. L. Evans, H. Olson, and C. Jenkins, 2004. Detailed investigation of sorted bedforms, or 'rippled scour depressions', within the Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory, Massachusetts, Continental Shelf Research, 209, 147-172.
  • Williams, S.J., Jenkins, C., Currence, J., Penland, S., S., Reid, J., Flocks, J., Kindinger, J.L., Poppe, L.J., Kulp, M., Manheim, F.T., Hampton, M., Polloni, C.F., and Rowland, J., 2003. New digital geologic maps of U.S. continental margins; insights to seafloor sedimentary character, aggregate resources and processes. In: Coastal Sediments '03 Conference Proceedings, Fifth International Symposium on Coastal Engineering and Science of Coastal Sediment Processes, Crossing Disciplinary Boundaries, Clearwater Beach, Fl., 18-23 May 2003, 12 p.
  • Jenkins, C.J. 2002. Automated digital mapping of sediment colour descriptions. Geo-Marine Letters, 22(4), 181-7.
  • Jenkins, C.J. 1999. A GIS of the Great Barrier Reef benthic physical habitats. Nth Qld. Sedim., 1st Ann. Meet., June 1999. (James Cook Univ. Publ.)
  • Jenkins, C.J. & Keene, J.B. 1992. Submarine slope failures on the south-east Australian continental slope. Deep-Sea Research, 29, 121-136.
  • Jenkins, C.J. 1992. Abyssal sediment drifts, erosion and history of bottom water flow in the Tasman Sea southwest of New Zealand. Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, 39(2), 195-210.
  • Malikides, M., Harris, P.T., Jenkins, C.J. & Keene, J.B. 1988. Carbonate sandwaves in Bass Strait. Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, 35, 303-311.
  • Barron, J., Larsen, B. & shipboard party (incl. Jenkins, C.J.), 1988. Middle Cenozoic initiation of ice sheet development in Prydz Bay, East Antartica. Nature, 333, 303-4.
Papers Submitted & In press
  • Jenkins, C.J. (Subm.) Quantifying the Uncertainty in Marine Substrate Mappings. Continental Shelf Research.
  • Jenkins, C.J. & Goff, J.A. (Subm.) A Competent Interpolator of Marine Substrates Data.  Marine Geology.
Published Articles
  • Wever, T.F. & Jenkins, C.J. 2006. Mine Burial Prediction Based On Doctrines Applied To Sediment Data Bases. Underw. Defence Technol. Europe 2006, Sess. 10C.1.
  • Jenkins, C.J. 1997. Building Offshore Soils Databases. Sea Technology, 38(12), pp. 25-28. 
  • Jenkins, C.J. 2003. Data Management of MARGINS Geologic Data,with Emphasis on Efficiency,Quality Control and Data Integration. MARGINS Newsletter, 10, 8-10.
  • Williams, S.J., Jenkins, C., Currence, J., and Reid, J., 2003, New digital geologic maps of U.S. Continental Margins; insights to seafloor sedimentary character, aggregate resources and processes, U.S. Geological Survey Information Sheet, May 2003.
Published Abstracts
  • Reid, J.A., Jenkins, C.J., Field, M.E., Gardner, J.V., Zimmermann, M., Box, Carolynn E., and Kneeshaw, T.A., 2001, usSEABED: Database efforts in marine surficial sediments of the US EEZ, EOS Transactions, American Geophysical Union, 2001 Fall Meeting, p. F593.
  • Kilbourne, K.H., Field, M.E., Gardner, J.V. and Jenkins, C.J. 1999. Evaluating Benthic Fish Habitats on the Continental Shelf  and Slope of the Southern California Bight:  Design and Use of a Benthic Character Database. EOS Transactions, American Geophysical Union, 2000 Ocean Sciences Meeting, 80(49) supplement.
  • Kilbourne, K.H., Field, M.E., Gardner, J.V., Zimmermann, M. and Jenkins, C.J. 1999. Bottom Character on the Pacific Shelf and Slope of the US and Southern Canada:  a Foundation for Evaluating Benthic Fish Habitats. EOS Transactions, American Geophysical Union, 1999 Fall Meeting, 80(46) supplement.
  • Reid, J. A., Jenkins, C., Field, M. E., Gardner, J. V. and Box, C. E. 2001. USSEABED: defining the surficial geology of the continental shelf through data integration and fuzzy set theory. Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Boston, MA. Abstracts with Programs 33:A106.
  • Jenkins, C.J. 2003. The Patchiness of Benthic Substrates, Measured Using the usSEABED Data Structure. GeoHab 2003, Hobart 30-31 April 2003.
  • Porter-Smith, R., Harris P.T., Heap A., Anderson O., Coleman, R., Greenslade, D. & Jenkins, C.J. 2003. Classification of the Tasmanian continental shelf using multivariate analysis of wave and tide dynamics and physical sediment parameters. In: Proceedings of GEOHAB 2003: Geological Mapping of Habitats for Marine Resources and Management, Hobart, Apr 30–May 2. 
  • Jenkins, C., Morin, P.J., Williams, S.J, Kulp, M., Sharman, G. 2004. Experiments with Visualization Technology Applied to Global Seabed Database. AGU Fall Meeting 2004, Abstract SF13A-0706.
  • Morin, P.,  Jenkins, C.,  Rao, A.,  Kamp, B.,  Higgins, S.,  Ito, E.,  Johnson, A. 2006. Spatial Indexing of Datasets for CoreWall: CoreNavigator. Eos Trans. AGU, 87(52), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract IN13C-1175.
  • Williams, S J.,  Reid, J.A., Arsenault, M.A., Jenkins, C. 2006. Characterization of Sedimentary Deposits Using usSEABED for Large-scale Mapping, Modeling and Research of U.S.Continental Margins. Eos Trans. AGU, 87(52), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract H33B-1505.
  • Goff, J. and Jenkins, C. 2005. Maximum likelihood resampling of noisy, spatially correlated data. Eos Trans. AGU, 86(52), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract OS32C-04. [San Francisco, CA Wed 6 Dec. 2005]
  • Kraft, B.J., Mayer, L.A., Simpkin, P., Goff, J.A., Schwab, B., Jenkins, C. 2002. In Situ Measurement of Sediment Properties and Relationship to Backscatter: An Example From the ONR Mine Burial Program, Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory. Eos Trans. AGU, 83(47), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract OS61A-0182, 2002.
  • Jenkins, C.J. 2003. New Computing Methods for Generating National Coverages of Seabed Core and Sample data. In: Rothwell, G. (Ed.), New ways of looking at sediment cores and core data.  An international conference at Southampton Oceanography Centre 4-5th September 2003.  Challenger Division for Seafloor Processes, Southampton Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK.
  • Kilbourne, K.H., Field, M.E., Gardner, J.V. and Jenkins, C.J. 1999. Benthic Habitat Mapping and Data Management: A Versatile Approach. Third Biennial USGS Geographic Information Science Workshop. Denver, CO.
  • Reid, J.A., Jenkins, C.J., Field, M.E., Gardner, J.V., and Box, C.E., 2001, usSEABED: Defining the surficial geology of the continental shelf through data integration and fuzzy set theory. Geological Society of America Annual Meeting
  • Reid, J. A., Jenkins, C.J., Field, M.E., Zimmermann, M., Gardner, J.V., Box, C.E., and Kneeshaw, T.A., 2002, Towards an integrated prediction of seabed character: usSEABED. USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program Five-year Planning Meeting, Palo Alto, CA
  • Reid, J. A., Jenkins, C.J., M.E. Field, M. Zimmermann, James V. Gardner, Carolynn E. Box, and Tara A. Kneeshaw, 2001. usSEABED: Mining seabed data for more than textural information. USGS Gulf of Mexico Integrated Database Workshop, St. Petersburg, FLA
  • Williams,  S. J., Hampton, M.,  Jenkins, C., Currence, J., Poppe, L., Penland, S., Reid, J., Flocks, J., Kindinger, J., Kulp, M., Manheim, F., Polloni, C., Rowland, J. 2002. New  Digital  Geological  Maps  of  U.S.  Continental  Margins: Insights to Seafloor  Sedimentary  Character  and Processes, Tools for Assessing Marine Aggregate Resources. Coastal Sediments-03 Conference, 2002, 1p.
  • Zimmermann, M., Kilbourne, K.H., Reid, J.A., Field, M.E., Gardner, J.V., Jenkins, C., Currie, R.G., and Bornhold, B. B. D., 2002, Use of surficial sediment information and species assemblage analysis for improving trawl survey stratification and abundance estimation. 2002 Western Groundfish Conference, Ocean Shores, WA
  • Jenkins, C.J., Reid, J.A., and Field, M.E., 2001. Digital Maps of the Seabed Color Rendered in True Color. Geol. Soc. Am. (Abstr), Fall 2001.
  • Williams, S.J., Jenkins, C., Reid, J., Penland, S., and others 2004. Regional-scale sediment maps of U.S. Continental Margins: insights to sedimentary character and processes, aggregate resources. Geological Society of America, Northeastern and Southeastern Sections Joint Meeting, Tysons Corner, Va., 25-27 March 2004.
Data Deliveries and Interactive mappings
  • Reid, J.A., Reid, J.M., Jenkins, C.J., Zimmermann, Mark, Williams, S.J., and Field, M.E., 2006, usSEABED: Pacific coast (California, Oregon,
    Washington) offshore surficial-sediment data release: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 182 [available on the World Wide Web at URL
    http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/2006/182/ ].
  • Buczkowski, B.J., Reid, J.A., Jenkins, C.J., Reid, J.M., Williams, S.J., and Flocks, J.G., 2006, usSEABED: Gulf of Mexico and Carribbean (Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands) Offshore Surficial Sediment Data Release: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 146, Version 1.0, CD-ROM. ONLINE. ["http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/2006/146/"]
  • Williams, S.J., Arsenault, M.A., Poppe, L.J., Reid, J.A., Reid, J.M. and Jenkins, C.J., 2006, Surficial sediment character of the New York-New Jersey offshore Continental Shelf region: a GIS Compilation. [Online: http://pubs.usgs.gov/ofr/2006/1046.]
  • Reid, J.M., Reid, J.A., Jenkins, C.J., Hastings, M.E., Williams, S.J., and Poppe, L.J, 2005, usSEABED: Atlantic coast offshore surficial sediment data release: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 118, version 1.0. Online at http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/2005/118/ [Also as CD-ROM.]
  • Jenkins, C.J., Kettner, A.J., Moore, C., Sharman, G. 2003. goSEABED World Seabed Data Browser. Univ. Colorado, Inst. Arctic and Alpine Res., Boulder, CO, USA. ["http://instaar.colorado.edu/~jenkinsc/dbseabed/goseabed/interactive/", 6 June 2003].  (Server URL)
  • Jenkins, C.J. & Kettner, A.J. 2002. Northern Gulf of Mexico iSEABED. [“http://instaar.colorado.edu/~jenkinsc/dbseabed/usseabed/interactive/”; 7 Jan 2003 download]  (Server URL)
  • Reid, J.A. and others 2002. usSEABED - West Coast Seabed Samples. [“http://kai.er.usgs.gov/regional/contusa/westcoast/”, 23 Sep 2002 download] (Server URL)
  • Reid, J.A. and others, 2002. usSEABED - East Coast Seabed Samples. ["http://kai.er.usgs.gov/regional/contusa/eastcoast/", 23 Sep 2002 download] (Server URL)
  • Reid, J.A. and others, 2002. usSEABED - Gulf of Mexico Seabed Samples. ["http://kai.er.usgs.gov/regional/contusa/gomex/", 23 Sep 2002 download] (Server URL)
Reports
  • *Jenkins, C.J. 1997. Construction of Marine Substrate Maps for Habitat Protection, Victoria, Australia. Syd. Univ. Ocean Sci. Inst. Rep., 81, May 1997
  • Jenkins, C.J., Short, A.D., Field, M.E. 2001. Progress Report to ONR: Improved Information Systems for Mine Burial Prediction. ["http://www.onr.navy.mil/sci_tech/ocean/reports/docs/mg/01/mgjenkin.pdf"]
  • Jenkins, C.J., Short, A.D., Field, M.E. 2002. Improved Information Systems for Mine Burial Prediction: FY2002 Report. ["http://www.onr.navy.mil/sci_tech/ocean/reports/docs/mg/02/mgjenkin.pdf"] 
  • Jenkins, C.J. 2002. Improved Data Input Systems for Mine Burial Prediction (Final NICOP Report) ["http://www.onrifo.navy.mil/reports/nicop/2002/02CJenkinscNICOPfinal02.doc"] 
  • Jenkins, C.J. 2004. Report for the US Geological Survey & University of Colorado collaboration in usSEABED – dbSEABED: 2003-4. ["http://instaar.colorado.edu/~jenkinsc/dbseabed/usseabed/CU_USGS2003-4_Report.pdf"]
Posters Presented
  • Williams, S. J., Jenkins, C., Reid, J.M., Poppe, L. J., and Reid, J., 2003.  Insights to seafloor sedimentary character, processes and aggregate resources of U.S. continental margins. Minerals Management Service Offshore Sand Workshop, 23 October 2003, Delaware Geological Geological Survey, Newark, DL.
  • Wiberg, P.L. and Jenkins, C.J. 2003. Spatial abundance of permeable sediment on the eastern US continental shelf. Gordon Research Conference on Permeable Sediments, June 15 - 20, 2003, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine 
  • Ito, E., Morin, P., Rao, A., Chen, J., Leigh, J., Johnson, A., Kamp, B., Jenkins, C., Higgens, S. 2006. CoreWall, An Integrated Environment for Interpretation of Geoscientific Data from Sediment, Ice and Crystalline Cores. European Geophysical Union, April 2006.
Electronic Documents


Palaeozoic studies

  • Jenkins, C.J., 1987. The Ordovician graptoloid Didymograptus murchisoni in South Wales and its use in three-dimensional absolute strain analysis. Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh: Earth Sciences, 78, 105-114.
  • Jenkins, C.J. (compiler), 1986. The Silurian of mainland Australia: a field guide. IUGS Silurian Subcommission, University of Sydney, Sydney, 82 pp.
  • Jenkins, C. J. 1982. Late Pridolian graptolites from the Elmside Formation near Yass, New South Wales. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of NSW, 106: 167-172.
  • Jenkins, C. J. 1982. Darriwilian (Middle Ordovician) graptolites from the Monaro Trough sequence east of Braidwood, New South Wales. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of NSW, 106: 173-179.
  • Jenkins, C. 1982. Isograptus gibberulus (Nicholson) and the isograptids of the Arenig Series (Ordovician) of England and Wales. Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society, 44, 219–248.
  • Hughes, C.P. , Jenkins, C.J., Rickards, R.B., 1982. Abereiddi Bay and the adjacent coast. In: Geological excursions in Dyfed, South-West Wales, p. 51-63. National Museum of Wales, Cardiff. 
  • Jenkins, C. 1980. Maeandrograptus schmalenseei and its bearing on the origin of the diplograptids. Lethaia, 13, 289–302.
  • Jenkins, C.J., 1979. Stratigraphy and graptolite biostratigraphy of the Llanvirn series’ type area, St. David’s, Dyfed, Wales. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Cambridge. Department of Geology.
  • Jenkins, C.J., 1978. Llandovery and Wenlock stratigraphy of the Panuara area, central New South Wales. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 102: 109–130.
  • Crowther, P. R. and Jenkins, C. J., 1976. Retiolitids from the Llanvirn and Darriwillian. Geological Magazine, 113, 3, 277-286.
  • Jenkins, C.J., 1973. Silurian biostratigraphy of the Four Mile Creek and “Angullong” area, central western N.S.W. Unpublished BSc (Hons) thesis, University of Sydney, 139 pp.


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Date: 25Jul06
Copyright: INSTAAR, UnivColorado