[GPlates-discuss] Minimum bounding areas for polygons

Eglington, Bruce bruce.eglington at usask.ca
Thu Sep 21 09:13:51 AEST 2017


Hi folks
  A separate and very different topic from my previous postings. Is there something already built in to GPlates codes to be able to calculate the minimum bounding surface area for a polygon situated on top of a specific plate polygon? The reason I am asking is that, when reconstructing geological maps on top of moving and fragmenting polygon blocks, one often has a younger basin cover on top of older stratigraphic units. At the time when an older unit is visible and before deposition of the younger unit, it would be useful to fill in the area of the younger sedimentary cover with the attributes of the older unit as a first approximation for the spatial extent of those sediments. I have been trying to think of a methodology one might follow and the simplest seems to be to calculate minimum bounding area for each adjacent  stratigraphic unit. If the younger sediment unit has a smaller area than the older one and is situated within the extent of the older one, then it is approximately enclosed by the older units polygon so one could colour it. If not, then don't colour.

BUT, this all depends on having the ability to compute minimum bound areas for unit polygons at different ages within code such as GPlates..

Maybe someone is already doing something similar for other purposes or has alternative suggestions.

Cheers
   Bruce


Bruce Eglington (Ph.D.)
Murray Pyke Chair
Geological Sciences
University of Saskatchewan
114 Science Place
Saskatoon
SK
S7N 5E2
Canada

bruce.eglington at usask.ca<mailto:bruce.eglington at usask.ca>
+1-306-966-5732

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