Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Graduate
Major
Earth and Environmental Studies
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr. Haluk Cetin
Presentation Format
Event
Abstract/Description
The John Day Fossil Beds National Monument (JODA) in Oregon preserves one of the most continuous and fossiliferous terrestrial records in North America, spanning more than thirty million years of Earth’s history. Despite its scientific importance, the scope of fossil collection and monitoring by National Park Service staff is constrained by limited funding and workforce capacity. This project employs Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to quantify and visualize patterns of fossil abundance across the Monument and adjacent protected regions. Using stratigraphic and spatial datasets, formation and member units analyze site locations to determine fossil site density and identify areas of particularly high paleontological potential or management concern. These analyses are integrated with topographic, geologic, and infrastructure layers obtained from state and federal databases to assess how landscape features and accessibility influence fossil distribution and recovery. The resulting GIS-based models provide a framework for prioritizing monitoring and preservation efforts, enhancing the efficiency of resource management, and refining our understanding of the spatial and temporal dynamics of fossil occurrence within the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. These preliminary models suggest that the presence of topographic and infrastructural features corelate with fossil abondance more than any geological data and therefore the presence of people is more important than the actual fossil content even in an area actively prospected.
Fall Scholars Week 2025
Earth and Environmental Sciences Poster Session
Fossil Abundance In John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
The John Day Fossil Beds National Monument (JODA) in Oregon preserves one of the most continuous and fossiliferous terrestrial records in North America, spanning more than thirty million years of Earth’s history. Despite its scientific importance, the scope of fossil collection and monitoring by National Park Service staff is constrained by limited funding and workforce capacity. This project employs Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to quantify and visualize patterns of fossil abundance across the Monument and adjacent protected regions. Using stratigraphic and spatial datasets, formation and member units analyze site locations to determine fossil site density and identify areas of particularly high paleontological potential or management concern. These analyses are integrated with topographic, geologic, and infrastructure layers obtained from state and federal databases to assess how landscape features and accessibility influence fossil distribution and recovery. The resulting GIS-based models provide a framework for prioritizing monitoring and preservation efforts, enhancing the efficiency of resource management, and refining our understanding of the spatial and temporal dynamics of fossil occurrence within the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. These preliminary models suggest that the presence of topographic and infrastructural features corelate with fossil abondance more than any geological data and therefore the presence of people is more important than the actual fossil content even in an area actively prospected.