Attribute Analysis

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Welcome to "the engines of my love," a regular review of why I love you, Martha Ellyn Sharp Nelson, and no other woman.

I love you because you were on my mind as I did detailed attribute analysis on and between the interpretations of Sequence Boundary 16.4, Maximum Flooding Surface 24.8, and Sequence Boundary 36 on Thursday. I realize these are words with no particular meaning for you, and I would like to take a minute of your time to explain what I mean.

When the ice ages occur the sea level drops by a couple of hundred feet. This lowering of the erosional base level results in rapid erosion, including deep incised valleys near the sea shore, and broad erosional features across large areas. These geologic times of non-deposition are referred to as a Sequence Boundary. The maps we have generated for the area in South Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela, where we are working at the BEG, includes major Sequence Boundaries at 16.4 million years ago and at 36 million years ago. In addition, when the ice caps melt, the sea raises until it reaches the large alluvial plane, which is somewhat like the `Katy Prarie.' When the sea level reaches this stage a large ice burg disengages from the poles and the flat area is covered with water in the matter of a few days or years. This is called a Maximum Flooding Surface and there are a lot of fossils located at this interval. In the Lake Maracaibo area there is a key Maximum Flooding Surface 24.8 million years ago. The Maximum Flooding Surface tends to be made up of shales and forms a nice seal to burried sand dunes and beaches, hydrocarbon reservoir rocks.

One of the things I have become trained at over the years is to interpret these geologic events from seismic data. One of the ways we go about doing this is to do detailed attribute analysis of seismic waveforms. This includes calculating the various types of seismic amplitude between and at the various geologic horizons. The whole process is quantitative. There are specific measurements, and then when maps are made of the results we look for geologic patterns to base the interpretation on.

As you know I tend to apply this same type of `scientific logic' to my relationships with you and with our children. When I see patterns which bring out my fears I emotionally melt, raise the sea level, and create a seal between me and those I love. When I see patterns I like, I dig in, like an incised valley, and try to drink it up. I have not been very good at just enjoying what happens and not trying to tweak the system. I hope you find it worthwhile I am starting to recognize my impact on the system that was our family.

I am striving to let what happens just happen, to speak up when choices that don't meet my values occur, and to not judge, blame, criticize, or be sarcastic. I am still going to do attribute analysis, but I am striving to let the data interpret itself. I am striving to learn these methdologies because I love you.

I'm interested in sharing why I love you. I know how important the written word is to you, and if you ever feel neglected, ignored, or unloved, and would like an up-to-date bound copy of these lovelets or any subset of these lovelets for any purpose you might have come to mind, please tell me or e-mail your request to rnelson@walden3d.com with the request 'lovelet update.'

With all my love,
Roice

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Copyright © 1997 H. Roice Nelson, Jr.