Representing a 3D surface on a map

Geol 342
Subsurface Mapping

Movie

The arrow points at … What is a contour line?

A. A ridge.
B. A valley.

Contouring Rules
Describe
the
• A contour line separates points that are higher
structure from points that are lower
• Contour lines cannot cross
• Contour lines cannot merge
• Contour lines must close on themselves within
the map area or extend to the edge of the map
• Contour interval must remain constant for the
entire map

1
 Contour this data using 25m interval
How do you make a contour map? Datum = 0 m

1. A contour lines separate points that

are higher from points that are lower
2. Space the contours between all the
know points
3. Honor all the data

10m contour spacing

2
 Problem: How to interpolate Methods of interpolation
between the known points? • Least squares
• Tangential
• Spline
• Weighted average
175
150 • Minimum curvature
125
100 • Polynomial
• Hyperbolic
• Kriging
• Trend surface
• Etc., etc., etc.!

a. Inverse distance
b. Kriging Advantages of Hand Contouring
c. Minumum
curvature
d. Triangulation
e. Polynomial
a. regression
• Allows you to impart your geologic
b.
knowledge to the interpretation

c. d. e.

Advantages of Computer Contouring Depth Structure maps

• Objective and unbiased Land surface

• Easily updated
Sea level
• Ready for subsequent processing
• Only practical way if you have 1000s -152 (302)

-211
(356) -362 (502)
-385 (525)

3
 Pennsylvanian Top
Dealing with multiple layers
•Isopach maps
•Plot the elevation difference between two maps

1800

1700

00
15
1800

Pennsylvanian-Mississippian Isopach
What about mapping other parameters?
800
• Extensive Surfaces:
700 – Tops and Bottoms of formations
600 – Isopachs
– Fault surfaces
500
– Fluid contacts, i.e. Gas-Oil, Water-Oil
• Intensive Surfaces:
400
– Porosities
– Net/Gross Ratios
300 – Fluid Saturations

What about Unconformities? Unconformity Surface

4
 Top of Layer A Base of Layer A

Isopach of Layer A Which well would encounter the thickest

sand?

Faulted surfaces

5
 Contouring Faulted Surfaces
• Faults break the continuity of a surface

Dome cut by two faults Making a map of a faulted structure

1. Contour the surface without faults
2. Contour the fault plane
3. Find the intersection of the two maps
4. Correct the contours for the vertical
separation across the fault
5. Clean up

Solution
Reverse Faults

6
 Where is the highest point in the structure in
Reverse Faulting Example
this depth map?
A.
E
B.
C.

D A
B D.
E.