Chronostratigraphic 3-D Space Parameterization Based On Sequential Restoration.

Gautier Laurent and Guillaume Caumon and Mark Jessell and Jean-Jacques Royer. ( 2010 )
in: Proc. 30th Gocad Meeting, Nancy

Abstract

Defining distance is crucial for modeling geological properties with geostatistics. However, geological structures are generally deformed, making the usual Euclidean distance inappropriate for applying geostatistics. Considering this, chronostratigraphic coordinate system maps geological models into a regular chronostratigraphic space, where deformations (especially those due to both faults and folds) have been removed [Mallet, 2004]. Three curvilinear coordinates are used for this mapping, among which a time parameter, inspired from H. E. Wheeler’s work, and two paleogeographic coordinates corresponding to the location of each particle at deposition time. To-date, chronostratigraphic coordinate system has been implemented by Moyen and Mallet [2004], Jayr et al. [2008], as a global optimization method which computes the three coordinates from chronostratigraphic interpretations. In this work, we propose instead to use sequential geomechanical restoration to compute paleogeographic coordinates. Geomechanical restoration is a way to infer the original position of a horizon taking rock physics into account. Each layer is restored into depositional state, which provides the paleogeographic coordinates of its hanging wall. These parameters are then propagated within the layer. Several methods, depending on the assumed hypotheses for deformation mode during syntectonic deposition were investigated. These methods are compared on a synthetic case. Doing so, it is possible to capitalize on restoration efforts to build a chronostratigraphic coordinate system, not only dependent on geometric criteria but also on rock rheology and on the deformation path inferred from the sedimentary record.

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BibTeX Reference

@inproceedings{LaurentGM2010,
 abstract = { Defining distance is crucial for modeling geological properties with geostatistics. However, geological structures are generally deformed, making the usual Euclidean distance inappropriate for applying geostatistics. Considering this, chronostratigraphic coordinate system maps geological models into a regular chronostratigraphic space, where deformations (especially those due to both faults and folds) have been removed [Mallet, 2004]. Three curvilinear coordinates are used for this mapping, among which a time parameter, inspired from H. E. Wheeler’s work, and two paleogeographic coordinates corresponding to the location of each particle at deposition time.
To-date, chronostratigraphic coordinate system has been implemented by Moyen and Mallet [2004], Jayr et al. [2008], as a global optimization method which computes the three coordinates from chronostratigraphic interpretations. In this work, we propose instead to use sequential geomechanical restoration to compute paleogeographic coordinates. Geomechanical restoration is a way to infer the original position of a horizon taking rock physics into account. Each layer is restored into depositional state, which provides the paleogeographic coordinates of its hanging wall. These parameters are then propagated within the layer. Several methods, depending on the assumed hypotheses for deformation mode during syntectonic deposition were investigated. These methods are compared on a synthetic case.
Doing so, it is possible to capitalize on restoration efforts to build a chronostratigraphic coordinate system, not only dependent on geometric criteria but also on rock rheology and on the deformation path inferred from the sedimentary record. },
 author = { Laurent, Gautier AND Caumon, Guillaume AND Jessell, Mark AND Royer, Jean-Jacques },
 booktitle = { Proc. 30th Gocad Meeting, Nancy },
 title = { Chronostratigraphic 3-D Space Parameterization Based On Sequential Restoration. },
 year = { 2010 }
}