Creating Aquifer Profile Diagrams

RockWorks | Borehole Manager | Aquifers | Profile

Use this program to:

• Interpolate grid models for the upper and lower surfaces of a single aquifer or multiple aquifers listed for a particular date or date range in the Water Levels table, and
• "Slice" these grid models between two points and create a 2D profile diagram.   Because surfaces are interpolated across the entire project, you can place the profile slice anywhere you like.

Numerous surface modeling options are offered.  The profile can be color- or pattern-filled.  Logs can be projected onto the profile using true downhole geometry.  The completed profile will be displayed in RockPlot2D.  Multiple aquifers are supported.

See also: Aquifer Sections for grid-based cross sections with multiple slices.

Feature Level: RockWorks Standard and higher

Menu Options
Step-by-Step Summary
Tips

Menu Options

• Choose Aquifer(s): Expand this heading to select which aquifers are to be represented in the profile.
  • All Aquifers: Choose this option if surfaces for all defined aquifers are to be created.
  • Single Aquifer: Choose this option if you wish to model a single aquifer only.
    • Aquifer: Click to the right to select the name of the aquifer you wish to model at this time. The names that are displayed are read from the current Aquifer Types Table.  This table also defines the color and pattern to be used to represent each aquifer.
       
• Date / Time Filtering: Use this checkbox along the right side of the options window to select the individual date or date range for the data to be processed.  
  • Choose Exact to enter the date for which the data is to be processed. The date you enter here should match the date you entered into the Water Levels data tables. 
  • Click in the Range button if you want to process water level data for a range of dates, and then specify the starting and ending date and/or time for the data to be included in processing.  (See Entering Water Level Data for details about how the dates are entered.)
    ! If you have multiple entries for a borehole for the selected date range, the program will include all of them when interpolating the surfaces, in effect averaging them.
     
• Surface Modeling: Expand this heading to establish the options for creating the upper and lower surface models. 
  • Gridding Options: Click on this button to access a window where you can establish the gridding method (aka algorithm), the grid dimensions, and other gridding options which will be used to interpolate the aquifer surface models.
    • Algorithms: Select a gridding method from the list on the left, and establish the method-specific Options in the middle pane.
    • Grid Dimensions:  Specify how the grid dimensions are to be established, using the settings on the right side of the dialog box.  Unless there's a specific reason to do otherwise, you should probably leave the grid dimensions set to the current output dimensions.
    • Additional options: Establish the other general gridding options (declustering, logarithmic, high fidelity, etc.).
       
• Aquifer Legend: Insert a check here to include a listing of the aquifer names along with their represented patterns/colors in the profile diagram. Expand this item to establish the legend settings. (More.)
   
• Plot Logs:  If you would like for the program to append striplogs to your profile diagram, insert a check here. 
  ! Deviated/inclined boreholes can be displayed.
  • Clip Logs: Check this sub-item if you want to restrict the logs to a particular elevation range. 
  • Include Stripmap: Insert a check here to include a stripmap above or below the profile diagram, which depicts the position of the logs within the search "swath" relative to the profile. Expand this heading to establish the Stripmap location and appearance options. (More.)
  • Show Collar Distances: Insert a check in this box to display at the top of the profile a series of labels that represents each borehole's distance to the profile line. (More.)
  • 2D Striplog Designer: Click on the 2D Striplog Designer tab to the right, to select the items to display in the individual logs to overlay the aquifer profile. 

  

  • Visible Items:  Use the check-boxes in the Visible Items column to select which log items are to be displayed.  See Visible Item Summary for information about the different log items.
  • Options: Click on any of the Visible Items names to see the item's settings in the Options pane to the right.  See the Visible Item Summary, for links to the Options settings.
  • Layout Preview: For each item you've activated, you'll see a preview cartoon in the upper pane.  Click and drag any item to the left or right to rearrange the log columns.  See Using the 2D Log Designer

• Plot Surface Profile:  Insert a check here to include a line on the profile that represents a user-selected grid model, typically the ground surface. Expand this heading to access the profile options.
  • Surface Profile Options: Click the Options button to select the grid model to be represented, and to establish the profile settings.  (More.)

  

  
  

• Create Additional Parallel Profiles:  Check this box if you want multiple profile lines to be drawn automatically, offset from the profile that you define. Expand this heading to define the direction and spacing of the automatic profile lines, the maximum distance, and diagram labeling options.  (More.)

  
   

• Show Fault(s): Check this box to display vertical fault lines in the profile, based on the location of one or more fault polylines defined in the project database. (More.)

• Show Infrastructure: Check this box to display buildings, pipes, or other infrastructure with your profile. Click the Options button to define the infrastructure file and plot settings. (More.)

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• Perimeter Annotation Options: Click on this button to establish vertical exaggeration, title, and border settings for the profile. (More.)

  

   
• Create Location Map:  Insert a check here to have the program create, along with the profile, a reference map that shows the profile cut's location.  It can be embedded in or created separately from the profile. (More.)

  
   

• Profile Selection Map: Click on the Profile Selection Map tab to the right, to select where the profile cut (or multiple cuts, if you've requested parallel profiles, above) to be placed. The most recent profile drawn for this project will be displayed.  (More.)

Step-by-Step Summary

Follow these steps to create a 2-dimensional (flat) vertical profile of one or more aquifers: 

1. Access the Borehole Manager program tab. 
2. Enter/import your data into the Borehole Manager. This tool specifically reads location, orientation (if any), and water level data. 
3. Enable boreholes:  Be sure that all boreholes whose data are to be included in the aquifer model, which will be sliced for the profile, are enabled.
4. Select the Aquifers | Profile command. 
5. Enter the requested menu items, described above
6. Set up logs: If you are including logs with the profile, be sure to click on the 2D Striplog Designer tab to establish how you want the logs to look.
7. Pick the profile:  Click on the Profile Selection Map tab to establish the profile location.
8. Click on the Process button to create the profile diagram. 
9. If you have activated Confirm Dimensions (in the gridding setup), the program will display a window with the model coordinates and node spacing.  Adjust these items if necessary and click OK.  (More.) 

The program will use the selected gridding algorithm to create grid models of the surface, base, and thickness of the selected aquifer(s), storing the models on disk ("aquifername_date_top.RwGrd", "aquifername_date_base.RwGrd" and "aquifername_date_isopach.RwGrd").  The name portion of the file name will be pulled from the Aquifer Types table, and the date portion of the file name should comply with the mm_dd_yyyy or dd_mm_yyyy date format as established in Windows.

It will then look at the coordinates specified for the profile cut and construct a vertical profile to illustrate the water level elevations, using the colors and/or patterns defined for the profile. If requested, it will annotate the border with tick marks and axis labels. Logs will be appended if requested. The completed diagram will be displayed in a RockPlot2D tab in the Options window.  This example shows multiple aquifers.

10. You can adjust any of the following items and then click the Process button again to regenerate the profile.
    • Aquifer model settings in the Options pane on the left*, and/or
    • Profile settings in the Options pane on the left, and/or
    • Striplog settings in the 2D Striplog Designer tab, and/or
    • Profile location in the Profile Selection Map tab.

    ! Each time you click the Process button, the existing profile display will be replaced. 

11. View / save / manipulate / print / export the profile in the RockPlot2D window.

Tips: Use the Stretch button in RockPlot to fill the window with the section.  This is helpful if the profile is long and shallow. 

 Back to Aquifers Menu Summary 

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