30 New Geoscience Applications for Advanced Visualization Methods, 3-D, Web-Access, and Large Databases I

Friday, 20 May 2005
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM

CONSTRUCTION OF HIGH RESOLUTION GRIDS OF GEOLOGICAL SOLIDS IN 3D REGIONAL MODELS

Paper number: 30-10
Program: THEME SESSIONS
Time: 11:00 AM – 11:20 AM

Authors

Abstract

Growing amount of subsurface geological data collected or converted into digital form and stored in data bases requires new methods of processing and visualization. This data very often are presented only by location on flat 2D maps without expression of third dimension. For couple of years 3D geological mapping has been developed and actually new techniques of multidimensional mapping in geological cartography are extensively used for small scale detailed areas, however regional-scale models are still unique. Application of 3D geological mapping in regional scale requires construction of high resolution grids for representing different sized model features as subsurface structures, lithology and stratigraphy of the geological units. Presented method is based on regular grid techniques using data of variable quality and quantity for constructing 3-D models. Regular grid solids can be converted into tetrahedral mesh for finite element modeling of reservoir properties and complex mass and heat flow processes.

Exemplary model of geological structure of Poland was built using regular grid solids with horizontal resolution of 500 m. Depth interval of model is -500 to -6000 m b.s.l.. Horizontal slice maps and cross-sections were primarily used for model construction apart from seismic profiles and borehole data base with near 9000 records. Final 3-D consistent model of high resolution can serve as source for production of derivative 3D maps necessary for detailed studies for resources exploration.