Quantification of plasmic fabric through image analysis

A new method of image analysis was tested on digital micro-photographs of glacial sediments. The method incorporated multispectral image classification algorithm to identify and separate the major components of each image. The resulting ‘maps’ showing areas of matrix, void spaces, skeleton grains and birefringent plasma, were used to quantify plasmic fabric information. Data collected showed discrepancy between visual descriptions and objective interpretations of plasmic fabric patterns. The results showed that the current qualitative approach to plasmic fabric descriptions may be too subjective.