APPLICATION OF ENVI TO SEM IMAGES OF FORAMINIFERA

ENVI is the industry standard for image processing and analysis regularly used by professionals to extract timely, reliable and accurate information from geospatial imagery and data. This project seeks to utilize this geospatial analysis to a never-before- applied examination of SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) images of foraminifera. Foraminifera in SEM are depicted in grayscale. It is often easier to interpret a color image rather than a grayscale image. By combining the SEM images through various functions of ENVI, multiple colored images of foraminifera and Contour Plots and Density Slices have been created. Here the Contour Plot feature has been used to map the pore spaces which are at a lower elevation than the surrounding test. The command Density Slice is used to select data ranges and colors for highlighting areas in a grayscale image. The advantages of using ENVI over traditionally applied techniques, such as ArcGIS, are that it can be used to quickly and easily define and observe morphologic structures, such as pore spaces, and highlight important features such as proloculus. Further work applying ENVI to SEM images of foraminifera may be used to detect and quantify changes in morphology, identify features of interest, and to use classification tools to refine results.