An Approach to 3D Modelling. El Bierzo Stephanian Basin (Leon, NW Spain).

C. Rey-Moral and K. Motis and J. L. García-Lobón. ( 2011 )
in: Proc. 31st Gocad Meeting, Nancy

Abstract

The 3D investigation and characterization of the Earth's subsurface is within the primary objectives of any geological survey. El Bierzo coal-bearing Stephanian Basin is located in the westernmost part of León province (NW Spain) and covers an area of about 150 km2. Stephanian deposits (constituted by up 1500 m of continental siliciclastic) are divided in nine layers defined by coal exploration work. They have been deposited within a transpressive regime at the end of the Variscan Orogeny. Palaeozoic materials are partially covered by Neogene and Quaternary siliciclastic sediments, formed by alluvial fans and terraces. The aim of this work is to resolve a 3D geological model including the outcropping layers and their prolongation depth wards. To reconstruct the outcropping surfaces a 3D dip-domain method has been applied, where data from all stratigraphic positions are used to compose a coherent geological reconstruction of the stratigraphic surfaces. Subsurface information occurs from different sources: previous and new acquired seismic profiles (N-S and E-W trending), gravity modelling, and boreholes. By joining the 3D outcropping surfaces and the subsurface information a 3D geometric model has been created, contributing to resolve some uncertainties: the western edge of the Stephanian basin (covered under the tertiary sediments), the depth and morphology of the bottom Stephanian and the morphology of the intra-carboniferous layers. The Stephanian basin deepens north-eastwards to accommodate the N-S alpine shortening and the reactivation of the E-W faults.

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BibTeX Reference

@inproceedings{ReyMoralGM2011,
 abstract = { The 3D investigation and characterization of the Earth's subsurface is within the primary objectives of any geological survey. El Bierzo coal-bearing Stephanian Basin is located in the westernmost part of León province (NW Spain) and covers an area of about 150 km2. Stephanian deposits (constituted by up 1500 m of continental siliciclastic) are divided in nine layers defined by coal exploration work. They have been deposited within a transpressive regime at the end of the Variscan Orogeny. Palaeozoic materials are partially covered by Neogene and Quaternary siliciclastic sediments, formed by alluvial fans and terraces.
The aim of this work is to resolve a 3D geological model including the outcropping layers and their prolongation depth wards. To reconstruct the outcropping surfaces a 3D dip-domain method has been applied, where data from all stratigraphic positions are used to compose a coherent geological reconstruction of the stratigraphic surfaces. Subsurface information occurs from different sources: previous and new acquired seismic profiles (N-S and E-W trending), gravity modelling, and boreholes. By joining the 3D outcropping surfaces and the subsurface information a 3D geometric model has been created, contributing to resolve some uncertainties: the western edge of the Stephanian basin (covered under the tertiary sediments), the depth and morphology of the bottom Stephanian and the morphology of the intra-carboniferous layers. The Stephanian basin deepens north-eastwards to accommodate the N-S alpine shortening and the reactivation of the E-W faults. },
 author = { Rey-Moral, C. AND Motis, K. AND García-Lobón, J. L. },
 booktitle = { Proc. 31st Gocad Meeting, Nancy },
 title = { An Approach to 3D Modelling. El Bierzo Stephanian Basin (Leon, NW Spain). },
 year = { 2011 }
}