An approach to computer modeling and visualization of geological faults in 3D

Computer modeling and visualization of geological faults in 3D is currently a topical research area because of its important theoretical and application value. The usual method demands enough fault data to be able to construct geological models in 3D. However, in reality, the quantity of the input data is sparse and undersampled. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to modeling faults in 3D. Following the basic properties of geological faults and by using a simple plane to simulate the fault or multiple combined planes to approximate the fault, we can deduce unknown points on a fault and implement mathematical description for the geometry of the fault. We also introduce a new technique called lag insertion and local reconstruction, and an object-oriented framework, which can carry out computer modeling and visualization of complex faults in 3D involving obverse/reverse faults and faults that terminate within geologic models. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.