Articles | Volume 11, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-419-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-419-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
31 Mar 2020
Research article |
| 31 Mar 2020
| 31 Mar 2020
Towards plausible lithological classification from geophysical inversion: honouring geological principles in subsurface imaging
Centre for Exploration Targeting (School of Earth Sciences),
University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, 6009 Crawley, Australia
Mark Lindsay
Centre for Exploration Targeting (School of Earth Sciences),
University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, 6009 Crawley, Australia
Mark Jessell
Centre for Exploration Targeting (School of Earth Sciences),
University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, 6009 Crawley, Australia
Vitaliy Ogarko
The International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, University
of Western Australia, 7 Fairway, 6009 Crawley, Australia
ARC Centre of Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics in 3 Dimensions (ASTRO 3D)
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Lawrence A. Bird, Vitaliy Ogarko, Laurent Ailleres, Lachlan Grose, Jeremie Giraud, Felicity S. McCormack, David E. Gwyther, Jason L. Roberts, Richard S. Jones, and Andrew N. Mackintosh
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The terrain of the seafloor has important controls on the access of warm water to below floating ice shelves around Antarctica. Here, we present an open-source method to infer what the seafloor looks like around the Antarctic continent, and within these ice shelf cavities, using measurements of the Earth’s gravitational field. We present an improved seafloor map for the Vincennes Bay region in East Antarctica and assess its impact on ice melt rates.
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Geophysical data is used to understand the Earth's structure. Geophysical inversion is an optimisation technique that constructs a model of the Earth using geophysical data. Inversion is complex and requires constraints to produce a plausible model. Overfitting is a disadvantageous effect that can affect techniques that rely on optimisation. A new feature in an inversion platform reduces overfitting by informing inversion of spatial uncertainty contained within the geophysical data.
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We present and test an algorithm that integrates geological modelling into deterministic geophysical inversion. This is motivated by the need to model the Earth using all available data and to reconcile the different types of measurements. We introduce the methodology and test our algorithm using two idealised scenarios. Results suggest that the method we propose is effectively capable of improving the models recovered by geophysical inversion and may be applied in real-world scenarios.
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We propose and apply a workflow to combine the modelling and interpretation of magnetic anomalies and resistivity anomalies to better image the basement. We test the method on a synthetic case study and apply it to real world data from the Cloncurry area (Queensland, Australia), which is prospective for economic minerals. Results suggest a new interpretation of the composition and structure towards to east of the profile that we modelled.
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Results of a survey launched among practitioners in the mineral industry show that despite recognising the importance of uncertainty quantification it is not very well performed due to lack of data, time requirements, poor tracking of interpretations and relative complexity of uncertainty quantification. To alleviate the latter, we provide an open-source set of local and global indicators to measure geological uncertainty among an ensemble of geological models.
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We propose the quantitative integration of geology and geophysics in an algorithm integrating the probability of observation of rocks with gravity data to improve subsurface imaging. This allows geophysical modelling to adjust models preferentially in the least certain areas while honouring geological information and geophysical data. We validate our algorithm using an idealized case and apply it to the Yerrida Basin (Australia), where we can recover the geometry of buried greenstone belts.
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Geophysical data is used to understand the Earth's structure. Geophysical inversion is an optimisation technique that constructs a model of the Earth using geophysical data. Inversion is complex and requires constraints to produce a plausible model. Overfitting is a disadvantageous effect that can affect techniques that rely on optimisation. A new feature in an inversion platform reduces overfitting by informing inversion of spatial uncertainty contained within the geophysical data.
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We present and test an algorithm that integrates geological modelling into deterministic geophysical inversion. This is motivated by the need to model the Earth using all available data and to reconcile the different types of measurements. We introduce the methodology and test our algorithm using two idealised scenarios. Results suggest that the method we propose is effectively capable of improving the models recovered by geophysical inversion and may be applied in real-world scenarios.
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Results of a survey launched among practitioners in the mineral industry show that despite recognising the importance of uncertainty quantification it is not very well performed due to lack of data, time requirements, poor tracking of interpretations and relative complexity of uncertainty quantification. To alleviate the latter, we provide an open-source set of local and global indicators to measure geological uncertainty among an ensemble of geological models.
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This paper addresses numerical challenges in reasoning about geological models constrained by sensor data, especially models that describe the history of an area in terms of a sequence of events. Our method ensures that small changes in simulated geological features, such as the position of a boundary between two rock layers, do not result in unrealistically large changes to resulting sensor measurements, as occur presently using several popular modeling packages.
Mark Jessell, Jiateng Guo, Yunqiang Li, Mark Lindsay, Richard Scalzo, Jérémie Giraud, Guillaume Pirot, Ed Cripps, and Vitaliy Ogarko
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 381–392, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-381-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-381-2022, 2022
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To robustly train and test automated methods in the geosciences, we need to have access to large numbers of examples where we know
the answer. We present a suite of synthetic 3D geological models with their gravity and magnetic responses that allow researchers to test their methods on a whole range of geologically plausible models, thus overcoming one of the fundamental limitations of automation studies.
Ranee Joshi, Kavitha Madaiah, Mark Jessell, Mark Lindsay, and Guillaume Pirot
Geosci. Model Dev., 14, 6711–6740, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-6711-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-6711-2021, 2021
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We have developed a software that allows the user to extract and standardize drill hole information from legacy datasets and/or different drilling campaigns. It also provides functionality to upscale the lithological information. These functionalities were possible by developing thesauri to identify and group geological terminologies together.
Jérémie Giraud, Vitaliy Ogarko, Roland Martin, Mark Jessell, and Mark Lindsay
Geosci. Model Dev., 14, 6681–6709, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-6681-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-6681-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We review different techniques to model the Earth's subsurface from geophysical data (gravity field anomaly, magnetic field anomaly) using geological models and measurements of the rocks' properties. We show examples of application using idealised examples reproducing realistic features and provide theoretical details of the open-source algorithm we use.
Mahtab Rashidifard, Jérémie Giraud, Mark Lindsay, Mark Jessell, and Vitaliy Ogarko
Solid Earth, 12, 2387–2406, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-2387-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-2387-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
One motivation for this study is to develop a workflow that enables the integration of geophysical datasets with different coverages that are quite common in exploration geophysics. We have utilized a level set approach to achieve this goal. The utilized technique parameterizes the subsurface in the same fashion as geological models. Our results indicate that the approach is capable of integrating information from seismic data in 2D to guide the 3D inversion results of the gravity data.
Lachlan Grose, Laurent Ailleres, Gautier Laurent, Guillaume Caumon, Mark Jessell, and Robin Armit
Geosci. Model Dev., 14, 6197–6213, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-6197-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-6197-2021, 2021
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Fault discontinuities in rock packages represent the plane where two blocks of rock have moved. They are challenging to incorporate into geological models because the geometry of the faulted rock units are defined by not only the location of the discontinuity but also the kinematics of the fault. In this paper, we outline a structural geology framework for incorporating faults into geological models by directly incorporating kinematics into the mathematical framework of the model.
Mark Jessell, Vitaliy Ogarko, Yohan de Rose, Mark Lindsay, Ranee Joshi, Agnieszka Piechocka, Lachlan Grose, Miguel de la Varga, Laurent Ailleres, and Guillaume Pirot
Geosci. Model Dev., 14, 5063–5092, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-5063-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-5063-2021, 2021
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We have developed software that allows the user to extract sufficient information from unmodified digital maps and associated datasets that we are able to use to automatically build 3D geological models. By automating the process we are able to remove human bias from the procedure, which makes the workflow reproducible.
Lachlan Grose, Laurent Ailleres, Gautier Laurent, and Mark Jessell
Geosci. Model Dev., 14, 3915–3937, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-3915-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-3915-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
LoopStructural is an open-source 3D geological modelling library with a model design allowing for multiple different algorithms to be used for comparison for the same geology. Geological structures are modelled using structural geology concepts and techniques, allowing for complex structures such as overprinted folds and faults to be modelled. In the paper, we demonstrate automatically generating a 3-D model from map2loop-processed geological survey data of the Flinders Ranges, South Australia.
Mark D. Lindsay, Sandra Occhipinti, Crystal Laflamme, Alan Aitken, and Lara Ramos
Solid Earth, 11, 1053–1077, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-1053-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-1053-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Integrated interpretation of multiple datasets is a key skill required for better understanding the composition and configuration of the Earth's crust. Geophysical and 3D geological modelling are used here to aid the interpretation process in investigating anomalous and cryptic geophysical signatures which suggest a more complex structure and history of a Palaeoproterozoic basin in Western Australia.
Evren Pakyuz-Charrier, Mark Jessell, Jérémie Giraud, Mark Lindsay, and Vitaliy Ogarko
Solid Earth, 10, 1663–1684, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-1663-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-1663-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
This paper improves the Monte Carlo simulation for uncertainty propagation (MCUP) method for 3-D geological modeling. Topological heterogeneity is observed in the model suite. The study demonstrates that such heterogeneity arises from piecewise nonlinearity inherent to 3-D geological models and contraindicates use of global uncertainty estimation methods. Topological-clustering-driven uncertainty estimation is proposed as a demonstrated alternative to address plausible model heterogeneity.
Jeremie Giraud, Mark Lindsay, Vitaliy Ogarko, Mark Jessell, Roland Martin, and Evren Pakyuz-Charrier
Solid Earth, 10, 193–210, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-193-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-193-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
We propose the quantitative integration of geology and geophysics in an algorithm integrating the probability of observation of rocks with gravity data to improve subsurface imaging. This allows geophysical modelling to adjust models preferentially in the least certain areas while honouring geological information and geophysical data. We validate our algorithm using an idealized case and apply it to the Yerrida Basin (Australia), where we can recover the geometry of buried greenstone belts.
Evren Pakyuz-Charrier, Mark Lindsay, Vitaliy Ogarko, Jeremie Giraud, and Mark Jessell
Solid Earth, 9, 385–402, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-385-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-385-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
MCUE is a method that produces probabilistic 3-D geological models by sampling from distributions that represent the uncertainty of the initial input dataset. This process generates numerous plausible datasets used to produce a range of statistically plausible 3-D models which are combined into a single probabilistic model. In this paper, improvements to distribution selection and parameterization for input uncertainty are proposed.
Xiaojun Feng, Enyuan Wang, Jérôme Ganne, Roland Martin, and Mark W. Jessell
Solid Earth Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/se-2017-142, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-2017-142, 2018
Preprint withdrawn
J. Florian Wellmann, Sam T. Thiele, Mark D. Lindsay, and Mark W. Jessell
Geosci. Model Dev., 9, 1019–1035, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-9-1019-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-9-1019-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
We often obtain knowledge about the subsurface in the form of structural geological models, as a basis for subsurface usage or resource extraction. Here, we provide a modelling code to construct such models on the basis of significant deformational events in geological history, encapsulated in kinematic equations. Our methods simplify complex dynamic processes, but enable us to evaluate how events interact, and finally how certain we are about predictions of structures in the subsurface.
Related subject area
Subject area: Crustal structure and composition | Editorial team: Geodesy, gravity, and geomagnetism | Discipline: Geodesy
Sequential inversion of GOCE satellite gravity gradient data and terrestrial gravity data for the lithospheric density structure in the North China Craton
Topological analysis in Monte Carlo simulation for uncertainty propagation
Joint analysis of the magnetic field and total gradient intensity in central Europe
Integration of geoscientific uncertainty into geophysical inversion by means of local gradient regularization
Yu Tian and Yong Wang
Solid Earth, 11, 1121–1144, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-1121-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-1121-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Given the inconsistency of the plane height and also the effects of the initial density model on the inversion results, the sequential inversion of on-orbit GOCE satellite gravity gradient and terrestrial gravity are divided into two integrated processes. Some new findings are discovered through the reliable and effective inversion results in the North China Craton.
Evren Pakyuz-Charrier, Mark Jessell, Jérémie Giraud, Mark Lindsay, and Vitaliy Ogarko
Solid Earth, 10, 1663–1684, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-1663-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-1663-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
This paper improves the Monte Carlo simulation for uncertainty propagation (MCUP) method for 3-D geological modeling. Topological heterogeneity is observed in the model suite. The study demonstrates that such heterogeneity arises from piecewise nonlinearity inherent to 3-D geological models and contraindicates use of global uncertainty estimation methods. Topological-clustering-driven uncertainty estimation is proposed as a demonstrated alternative to address plausible model heterogeneity.
Maurizio Milano, Maurizio Fedi, and J. Derek Fairhead
Solid Earth, 10, 697–712, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-697-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-697-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
In this work we aim to interpret the extended magnetic low visible at satellite altitudes above central Europe by performing a joint analysis of magnetic field and total gradient intensity maps at low and high altitudes. Here we demonstrate that such a magnetic anomaly is mainly a result of the contrast between two crustal platforms differing strongly in geological and magnetic properties. Synthetic model tests have been created to support our modeling.
Jeremie Giraud, Mark Lindsay, Vitaliy Ogarko, Mark Jessell, Roland Martin, and Evren Pakyuz-Charrier
Solid Earth, 10, 193–210, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-193-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-193-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
We propose the quantitative integration of geology and geophysics in an algorithm integrating the probability of observation of rocks with gravity data to improve subsurface imaging. This allows geophysical modelling to adjust models preferentially in the least certain areas while honouring geological information and geophysical data. We validate our algorithm using an idealized case and apply it to the Yerrida Basin (Australia), where we can recover the geometry of buried greenstone belts.
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Short summary
We propose a methodology for the identification of rock types using geophysical and geological information. It relies on an algorithm used in machine learning called
self-organizing maps, to which we add plausibility filters to ensure that the results respect base geological rules and geophysical measurements. Application in the Yerrida Basin (Western Australia) reveals that the thinning of prospective greenstone belts at depth could be due to deep structures not seen from surface.
We propose a methodology for the identification of rock types using geophysical and geological...
