Speaker: Imadeddine LAOUICI

Date: Thursday 12th of June 2025, 13:00 pm.

Abstract:

Building structural models of geological entities is generally addressed as an interpolation problem that requires human experts to interpret input data and use knowledge (Wellmann and Caumon, 2018). Although experts can effectively interpret, their interpretations can be subjective and occasionally prone to error (Bond, 2015). This is largely due to under-sampling of data, requiring experts to make choices in the selection and preparation of these data and knowledge (Bond et al., 2012), and selection and configuration of modeling algorithms (Caumon et al., 2009). Modeling algorithms also do not reflect the complex expert interpretation process, as they incorporate only a portion of the knowledge typically held by experts and have limited ability to directly interact with experts during the interpretation process itself. This makes it challenging to build geologically complex models and systematically identify and address inconsistencies in a model. A crucial step toward resolving these issues is the formalization of the interpretation process and the explicit use of formalized knowledge. In this work we develop and prototype such a formalization. A prototype algorithm and tool (Figure 1) are presented and applied to simple folding structures, and the results are favorably compared to existing approaches. This comparison highlights the potential of the proposed approach to reduce the need for expert involvement and increase the range of knowledge utilized.

Bond, C.E., 2015. Uncertainty in structural interpretation: Lessons to be learnt. Journal of Structural Geology 74, 185–200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsg.2015.03.003

Bond, C.E., Lunn, R.J., Shipton, Z.K., Lunn, A.D., 2012. What makes an expert effective at interpreting seismic images? Geology 40, 75–78. https://doi.org/10.1130/G32375.1

Caumon, G., Collon-Drouaillet, P., Le Carlier de Veslud, C., Viseur, S., Sausse, J., 2009. Surface-Based 3D Modeling of Geological Structures. Math Geosci 41, 927–945. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11004-009-9244-2

Wellmann, F., Caumon, G., 2018. 3-D Structural geological models: Concepts, methods, and uncertainties. Advances in Geophysics 59, 1–121. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.agph.2018.09.001