Prof Eugene C. Rankey

Prof. Rankey’s research program focuses on unraveling and quantifying the nature and controls on variability in surface processes and geomorphic forms in tropical marine and nearshore sedimentary systems.

His research emphasizes field study of modern ramps and atolls, where both process (waves, tides, chemistry, etc.) and product (e.g., sediment, biota, geomorphology) can be observed, and their relations rigorously evaluated and numerically modelled. Recent studies have documented global patterns in distribution and character of reef and reef sand aprons, sedimentology and geomorphology of ooid shoals, and the role of physical and chemical oceanography on biota and geomorphology of a carbonate ramp system.

The focus has evolved naturally to evaluating the impact of global change on Earth-surface processes in shallow marine and coastal tropical systems, including reefs and coastlines. These studies include addressing questions regarding possible future changes in response to ENSO, sea-level rise, or variations in wave climate. Examining study areas ranging from the Pacific (Kiribati, French Polynesia, Cook Islands), to Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia), to the Caribbean (Bahamas, Yucatan, Mexico, Turks and Caicos), his perspective is global.

Beyond efforts that focus on modern systems, the research has direct application to understanding geologic analogs in the stratigraphic record via development of testable quantitative and conceptual models for the origin and heterogeneity of the stratigraphic record of ancient carbonate reef, shoal, ramp, and platform successions. As such, an important aspect concerns evaluation of the stratigraphic record of ancient analogs, testing conceptual models and developing fundamental paradigms. Key means to do so are through high-resolution, sequence-based analysis of subsurface analogs using core, log, and 3D seismic data, and includes efforts in Malaysia, Kansas, Saudi Arabia, and Australia.