Makowski, C.; Finkl, C.W., and Vollmer, H.M., 2017. Geoform and landform classification of continental shelves using geospatially integrated IKONOS satellite imagery.

Geomorphological characterization of coastal environments along continental shelves depends on accurate interpretation of mesoscale lithic and clastic benthic geoforms and landforms. Using the Geospatially Integrated Seafloor Classification Scheme (G-ISCS), cognitive visual interpretations of seafloor geoforms and their associated landforms were conducted along a diverse segment of the southeast (SE) Florida continental shelf. GeoEye IKONOS-2 satellite imagery provided the remotely sensed visual medium on which interpretations were based. With ESRI ArcGIS^® ArcMap software, classification maps were created from the cognitive interpretations to show spatial distribution results of geoform and landform features throughout the study area. Additionally, smaller-scale “call-out figures” documented specific geomorphological associations among the classified units. Analysis attribute tables compared and contrasted the abundance (i.e. number of classifying vector polygons) and calculated areas for each geoform and landform classified. It was determined that classification of geoform and landform benthic features along continental shelves can be achieved where water clarity conditions allow for the cognitive visual interpretation of such seafloor formations. Future studies may build upon the classification of continental shelf geoforms and landforms to integrate more transient biogeomorphological features of the marine environment (e.g., sediment distribution, biological species identification, density of flora and fauna present), thus creating a more detailed and inclusive classification of a selected coastal region.