BIOMODULE: a Java program to help model and interpret the stratigraphic record ?
A combination of a stratigraphic simulation package (STRATA) and an evolutionary-ecological model (BIOSTRAT) can be used to simulate the distribution of species within a sequence stratigraphic framework. BIOMODULE is an extension of this model approach in that it facilitates the visualization and interpretation of those simulations and their input data. Environmental factors (e.g., sea-level changes or sedimentation rates) and ecological factors (preferred water depth, depth tolerance, abundance) that determine the spatial and temporal distribution of species are easily and quickly investigated. In addition, BIOMODULE can be used to compile the stratigraphic first and last appearances of those species and export them into available graphic correlation software packages (Conop9 and GraphCor). This can be used to test the graphic correlation technique and investigate its accuracy and precision under a range of different conditions (e.g., different stratigraphic architectures and sampling densities) since the true correlation of the different sections is already known.
graphic correlation biostratigraphy stratigraphy computer simulation