Most of papers/researchers regarding cyclicity using Markov Chains are from 1970's to 1990's. However, in the recent literature only a few papers deals with this method. To what extent the use of Markovian processes can control or explain cyclothems or coarsening-, and fining-upward cylces?. Analysis of cyclicity in recent literature is restricted to use astronomical forcing cycles (Milankovitch bands) of known periodicities by using spectral or fourier analysis, so then, we can assume that these are the today-acepted methods for assess cyclicity?, what do you think about it?.
Many years ago I attended a lecture in which the speaker produced a set of data analysed using these methods. The results were convincing defining a series of deositional cycles. However, in his closing remarks he confessed that the data had been generated by randomly shuffling a pack of cards!
Thank you Colin and Diego for your answers and also references. Diego Could you write the full reference of Thompson et al., 2002 and Riegl and Pukis 2009 ?. I have heard of some researchers who do not prefer use markov chain arguing that dependence of facies is hard to prove and is not fully reliable. However, the latter issue would be overcomed by using Chi-square or any statistical test of significance. Another area of sedimentology where Markovian analysis is commonly used is in coal-bearing deposits (Sultan-Ul-Islam and Hossain, 2006. Bangladesh Journal of Geology; Hota et al., 2003. Open Journal of Geosciences; Mariño-Martínez and Amaya, 2016. Earth Sciences Journal Research). Interesting is the application of markov chains in subsurface studies e.g., characterization of reservoirs.
Best regards!
I still think improved version of Markov Chain I.e. partial independence or quasi independence method are very useful in analysing cyclicity in the sequence.The only thing that matters was the collection of data and I personally used these methods in the borehole data given by the agencies working on the coal reserves. It is very good and one can get result within no time.If it is correlated with Harper's binomial method than nothing beats it's usefulness.I do not think it is outdated.For your information there is another method which correlate the borehole sequence in space is cross association method.One can look my paper with Prof Tewari appeared in Jour.Asian Geology in 2009.
I don't think the concept of the Markov Chain Analysis is outdated, but it has been done so many times that it is not essential in most studies, as it has already led to easily recognizable patterns. It is similar to interpreting grain shape and sorting. We no longer go through the mathematical procedure of measuring and calculating parameters of individual particles. We've done that to the point we know the likely outcome. Instead, we now simply make visual comparison to drafted diagrams. LIkewise, because of earlier statistical studies using Markov Chain Analyses, we recognize facies succession patterns that we regularly associate with specific depositional systems, such as point bars, shorefaces, or turbidites.
Thanks William Little and Z. A. Khan. I really appreciate your comments!
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