Instructions

Geological structure modeling can build a 3D stratum structure model based on data such as borehole locations, borehole trajectories, and borehole stratification. After configuring the project area and borehole data in SuperMap iDesktopX, you can launch the Deep Exploration Geoscience Modeling Software to generate stratigraphic surfaces, geological bodies, and perform gridded modeling, then load the results into the iDesktopX scene for viewing.

The modeling workflow includes setting the project area, loading borehole data, generating stratigraphic surfaces, generating stratigraphic bodies and building the overall grid model, and returning to the iDesktopX scene to check the model effect.

Application Scenarios

• Quickly build stratum surface and geological body models for the study area based on borehole stratification data.
• Check whether borehole data, area extent, and stratum spatial relationships are reasonable in a geological modeling project.
• Generate an overall grid model to provide a 3D geological framework for subsequent scene display, attribute modeling, and spatial analysis.

Functional Condition Description

• The data source for storing project data has been specified in the Geological Modeling tab.
• The project area settings have been completed, and the current area extent has been saved.
• Borehole modeling data such as borehole locations, borehole trajectories, and borehole stratification have been imported via Data Configuration.
• The current environment can normally launch the Deep Exploration Geoscience Modeling Software and has a 3D geological modeling license.

Function Entry

• Geological Modeling tab > Collaboration group > Modeling button > Deep Exploration Geoscience Modeling Software

After launching the Deep Exploration Geoscience Modeling Software, common operations are located in the Borehole Management, Gridding and Attribute Modeling, and other tabs in the toolbar.

Operation Instructions

Setting Project Information

1. In the Geological Modeling tab, click the Modeling button to launch the Deep Exploration Geoscience Modeling Software.
2. After the software starts, click the Project Information Settings button in the File dropdown menu to open the Set Project Information dialog box. Select the project area set in iDesktopX, check the Get project plane area extent checkbox, and click OK to confirm the project information required for modeling.
3. The construction modeling window displays the current area extent box.

Borehole Management

1. Click the Borehole Management tab in the software toolbar; the borehole management node will appear in the left tree window.
2. Right-click the Borehole Management node in the left tree view and select Load Basic Borehole Information, Load Borehole Stratification, Load Borehole Breakpoints, etc., depending on the data.
3. After loading, the borehole information stored in the iDesktopX data source will be imported into the Deep Exploration software.

Generating Stratigraphic Surfaces

1. Click the Structural Modeling tab in the toolbar; the left tree window will display Surface, Surface Patch Set, Structural Interpretation, and Structural Model nodes.
2. Based on the borehole information imported in the previous step, generate stratigraphic surfaces. Right-click the Stratum Set node under Structural Model and select Extract Borehole Stratification Points to add valid borehole stratification points as stratum control points.
3. Confirm that stratum nodes have been generated under the Stratum Set. The depositional sequence of stratum surfaces is determined by the order of stratum nodes under the Stratum Set, which must follow the rule that older strata are below and younger strata are above. For example, if the stratum nodes from top to bottom are H1, H2, H4, H5, then H1 is the top interface (younger stratum) and H5 is the bottom interface (older stratum).
4. Right-click the Stratum Set node and select Generate All Surfaces. In the pop-up Save As dialog, create a new folder and select it to store the result data. Click Save, and the software will generate each stratum surface (*.jsm) based on the stratum control points.
5. Additionally, you can create new strata based on borehole stratification data information, then generate accurate stratum surfaces through steps 2 to 4.
   • Expand the Structural Model node in the left tree view, right-click Stratum Set, and select New > New Stratum. A stratum node named Stratum n (n is an Arabic numeral starting from 1) will be generated under the Stratum Set.
   • After creation, rename the strata in the property panel on the right side of the software based on the layer name field values in the borehole stratification data, e.g., H1, H2, etc.
   • Follow steps 2 to 4 to generate the stratum surfaces.
6. After surfaces are generated, expand individual stratum nodes and check whether child nodes such as Top Surface, Discrete Point Set, Control Point Set, Stratum Body have been generated.

Generating Stratum Bodies and the Overall Grid Model

1. After surface generation is complete, select Generate Stratum Body from the right-click menu of the Stratum Set to save the stratum body data.
2. Click the Gridding and Attribute Modeling tab in the toolbar; nodes such as Overall Grid Model Dataset will appear in the tree window.
3. Right-click the Overall Grid Model Set node in the left tree view and select New Overall Grid Model. The New Overall Grid Model dialog will open.
4. In the dialog, set parameters such as model name, data directory, and model source, then click OK. A node named after the specified model name will be generated under the overall grid dataset node.
   • Model Name: Sets the name of the resulting overall grid model. Default is Overall Grid Model_n (n is an Arabic numeral starting from 1).
   • Data Directory: Select a local folder to store the result data. It is recommended to use an empty folder to avoid data generation errors.
   • Model Source: Sets the data source for the model. Since the previous step generates stratum bodies as a structural model, select Structural Model here.
5. Right-click the Overall Grid Model Set node in the left tree view and select Define Plane Grid Geometric Information. The Define Plane Grid Geometric Information dialog opens, where you can modify the grid size and other relevant information as needed.
   • Origin Coordinates: The origin coordinates of the grid model.
   • Width: The area width along the I-axis.
   • Length: The area length along the J-axis.
   • Rotation Angle: The angle between the I-axis and J-axis directions.
   • I/J Step: The step size along the I and J axes.
6. After defining the plane grid geometric information, you also need to set the stratum layering. Right-click the Overall Grid Model Set node in the left tree view and select Set Vertical Layering. The Set Vertical Grid Partition Parameters dialog opens, where you can select the calculation area and set area properties as needed.
   • In the Select Area list, check the strata to be included in the calculation.
   • In the Set Area Properties list, set parameters such as Calculation Method, Sub Layers, whether to use Reference Surface and Reference Surface Z value for each stratum. There are four calculation methods: when selecting Equal Proportion, the Sub Layers column displays the number of sublayers; when selecting Equal Distance to Top/Bottom Surface, it displays the thickness of sublayers; when selecting Fraction, it displays decimals.
   • After setting, click OK; stratum nodes will be generated under the overall grid model node in the left tree window.
7. Building the overall grid model is essentially block-based modeling, so you need to divide sub-regions for separate modeling operations. Right-click the Overall Grid Model Set node in the left tree view and select New Sub-region. The model display interface enters sub-region drawing mode. Create a sub-region of appropriate size as needed. After successful creation, a success prompt will appear in the information bar.
8. Create a truncated grid model in the sub-region: Right-click the sub-region node under Overall Grid Model Set in the left tree view and select New Truncated Grid Model. A truncated rectangular grid model node will appear under the sub-region node, and the sub-region will display the grid lines of the truncated grid model.
9. Right-click the Truncated Rectangular Grid Model node in the left tree view and select Generate Grid Model. The Generate Grid Model dialog opens, where you can view and confirm the subdivision method, thickness, and other parameters of the strata to be calculated.
10. After confirming the parameters are correct, click OK. A dialog will prompt whether to proceed. Click Yes to start generating the digital simulation grid. After completion, a prompt indicating the end of digital simulation grid generation will be shown in the information bar.
11. After generation, check the checkbox before the Truncated Rectangular Grid Model node in the left tree view, right-click and select Save to SuperMap Data Source from the right-click menu. In the Set Dataset Name dialog, set the name of the result model dataset. The first character of the name must be a Chinese character or a letter; it cannot start with a digit or underscore. After setting, the result model will be saved to the iDesktopX data source. 

Related Topics

• Geological Modeling Overview
• Project Area Settings
• Data Configuration Overview
• Data Configuration - Borehole Locations
• Data Configuration - Borehole Trajectories
• Data Configuration - Borehole Stratification