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Quantitative 3D Underwater Photogrammetry Reveals Polyphased Tectonic and Stratigraphic Evolution of the Buteur Ridge, French Guiana
As part of the study of tectono-sedimentary processes in deep marine environments, researchers have developed a new underwater photogrammetry method.
This study introduces a new underwater photogrammetric method applied to video data from the Nautile submersible, enabling detailed 3D reconstructions of sedimentary structures on the eastern flank of the Buteur Ridge. By carefully controlling camera movement and image quality, the method produces highly accurate 3D models that surpass the limitations of traditional underwater visual observations. These models reveal subtle variations in sediment dip and orientation that inform the tectonic and sedimentary history of the ridge.
Structural and seismic analyses identified three main sedimentary units : two syn-rift units showing opposing dips attributed to tilted fault blocks and fault drag structures, and an overlying post-rift unit marked by an unconformity and sediment progradation. The findings suggest that after rifting, post-rift sedimentation occurred above an erosional surface, followed by uplift and fault reactivation likely driven by lithospheric loading from the Amazon deep-sea fan. These combined observations refine our understanding of the Buteur Ridge’s evolution and highlight the complex interplay between tectonics and sedimentation in a deep-sea environment.
This photogrammetric technique not only provides new insights into submarine geology but also offers broad potential for other scientific fields requiring precise 3D underwater spatial data. The method is applicable to both past recorded dives and future missions, provided the movements of the submersible and camera are well tracked.
References :
Basile et al., 2022
C. Basile, L. Loncke, W.R. Roest, D. Graindorge, F. Klingelhoefer, T. Museur, A. Heuret, T. Lesourd-Laux, W. Vetel
Initiation of transform continental margins : the Cretaceous margins of the Demerara plateau
Geol. Soc. Spec. Publ., 524 (2022), pp. 327–337
Flores and ten Brink, 2024
C.H. Flores, U.S. ten Brink
Photogrammetry of the Deep Seafloor from Archived Unmanned Submersible Exploration Dives
J. Mar. Sci. Eng., 12 (2024), p. 1250
Arnaubec et al., 2023
A. Arnaubec, M. Ferrera, J. Escartín, M. Matabos, N. Gracias, J. Opderbecke
Underwater 3D Reconstruction from Video or Still Imagery : Matisse and 3DMetrics Processing and Exploitation Software
J. Mar. Sci. Eng., 11 (2023), p. 985
Loncke et al., 2022
L. Loncke, M. Mercier De Lépinay, C. Basile, A. Maillard, W.R. Roest, et al.
Compared structure and evolution of the conjugate Demerara and Guinea transform marginal plateaus
Tectonophysics, 822 (2022), Article 229112
Kwasnitschka et al., 2013
T. Kwasnitschka, T.H. Hansteen, C.W. Devey, S. Kutterolf
Doing fieldwork on the seafloor : Photogrammetric techniques to yield 3D visual models from ROV video
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Scientific Contacts :
- Charline Coudun - Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, IRD, Univ. Gustave Eiffel, ISTerre, 38000 Grenoble, France
- Paul Brichard - Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, EPOC, UMR 5805, F-33600 Pessac, France
- Christophe Basile - Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, IRD, Univ. Gustave Eiffel, ISTerre, 38000 Grenoble, France
- Sébastien Zaragosi - Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, EPOC, UMR 5805, F-33600 Pessac, France
- Vincent Marieu - Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, EPOC, UMR 5805, F-33600 Pessac, France
- Martin Patriat - Univ. Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, Geo-Ocean, F-29280 Plouzané, France
- Lies Loncke - University of Perpignan Via Domitia, Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditerranéens (CEFREM), UMR 5110, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66100 Perpignan, France