Creating Lithology Plan-View Maps

RockWorks | Borehole Manager | Lithology | Plan Map

Use this program to:

• Create a 3-dimensional solid model representing interpolated lithology types (an .RwMod file) - or - read an existing lithology .RwMod file you've already created.
• Extract the node values from the solid model where they intersect a horizontal plane, storing this as a 2D grid model (.RwGrd file)
• Create a 2-dimensional map representing the lithology along the plane.

In other words, it creates a geological lithology map based on downhole data.  The lithologies will be represented in the model using the numeric "G-values" declared in the Lithology Types Table.  The lithologies will be represented in the map using the background colors and/or patterns defined for the materials in the Lithology Types Table.  The completed map is displayed in RockPlot2D.

See also: Lithology Surface Maps for lithology maps that intersect a grid-based surface rather than a horizontal plane.
 

Menu Options
Step-by-Step Summary

Menu Options

• Lithology Modeling Options: First, tell the program whether you wish to use an existing lithology solid model (from a previous use of this tool or another Lithology menu tool) or you wish to create a new lithology solid model, by clicking in the appropriate radio button.
  ! NOTE  This is not trivial. Creating the lithology model can take some time, depending on the resolution of the model and the detail of your data. If you already created a pleasing model for display as a profile, for example, you can use the same model, which was stored on disk as an .RwMod file, for the plan map.
   
  • Create New Model:  If want to create a new model, click in this radio button, and expand this item to establish the modeling settings. 
    • Spatial (XYZ) Filtering: Insert a check in this box, on the right side of the window, to activate a data filter based on spatial coordinates. Expand this heading to establish the filter settings. 
      Note that these tools filter the data that is passed to the modeling procedures.  This is distinct from the filters that are applied once the model is completed, and described below.
    • Create Filtering / Sampling Report: Check this box if you've activated the above filter and wish to see a listing of the filtered data.
    • Lithology Model Name: Click to the right to enter a name for the lithologic model, such as "lithology".  The program will append automatically the file name extension ".RwMod". 
    • Modeling Options: Click on the Options button to establish important modeling settings:
      • Algorithm (Modeling Method): This determines the modeling method to use, for interpolating your lithology model. (More.)
      • Additional Options: These include model dimensions, tilting, warping, filtering above-ground, smoothing, and much more. 
    • Limit Input to Selected G Values: Check this box to filter the input data. (More.)
    • Limit Model to Selected G Values: Check this box to filter the output model. (More.)
    
    
  • Use Existing Model: If you wish to use an already-existing lithology model, click in this radio button, and expand this item to select: 
    • Model Name: Click on this item to browse for the name of the existing lithology model (.RwMod file) to be used as the basis for this plan-view map.
       
• Output Grid: Click here to type in the name to assign the output grid that will be created as a result of extracting a specific slice from the solid model.  This grid model's nodes will be assigned the "1"s "2"s "3"s, etc., that represent your lithology rock types (defined in your Lithology Types Table) as they appear at the selected elevation.  (You'll choose the elevation level after setting up the menu options.)  RockWorks will automatically append the ".RwGrd" file name extension.
   
• Diagram Options
  • Plot Background Color: Insert a check here to display the lithology zones using the background colors defined in the project's Lithology Types Table.
  • Plot Patterns: Insert a check here to use the graphic patterns, established in the Lithology Types Table, to represent the lithology zones in the output map. Expand this heading to define the line thickness for the pattern dots and lines.  (Default = 1 for thin lines.)

  
  

  • Plot Cell Borders: Check this box to display the grid model's cell borders either around all cells or around contiguous lithology zones.
    • Bevel Edges: Check this box to draw borders only around contiguous lithology zones, and to "bevel" the corners so that they're not sharp 90-degree angles.  Leave this box cleared to display borders around all grid cells.  
    • Line Style: Click here to define the line thickness, style, and color for the borders.

    

    
    
  • Borehole Locations: Insert a check in this box to display the borehole locations with map symbols, with a variety of labeling options.  Expand this heading to access the Borehole Symbol and Label Options button. 
     
  • Border: Insert a check in this check-box to annotate the map borders with axis titles and/or coordinate labels. Expand this item to access the border settings. See Border Layer Options for details.  
     
  • Lithology Legend: Insert a check here to include a legend that lists all of the lithology keywords and their colors and patterns, as listed in the project's Lithology Types Table. Expand this item to set the legend width, size, and offset.  More.
    
    

Step-by-Step Summary

1. Access the RockWorks Borehole Manager program tab. 
2. Enter/import your data into the Borehole Manager. This tool specifically reads location, orientation (if any), and lithology data.
3. Select the Lithology | Plan Map menu option. 
4. Enter the requested menu items, described above
5. Click the Process button to continue. 

If you've selected Use Existing Model, the program will load the information from the existing lithology model (.RwMod file), and will proceed to diagram generation.

If you've selected Create New Model, the program will scan the project database and extract the borehole locations, lithology depths and materials, and any borehole orientation.  It will apply any source data filters you have requested, and will interpolate the solid lithology model.

6. If you requested Confirm Dimensions, the program will first prompt you to confirm the default solid model dimensions.  (More.)
   
   
7. The program will then display a window listing all of the elevation levels in the lithology model.  Choose the elevation to be represented in the plan-view map, and click OK. (Note that the elevation increments correspond to the vertical node spacing in the solid model.)

The program will then read all of the voxels in the lithology model at the selected elevation, and store that lithotype in the output grid model.  The program will then create the 2D lithology (geology) map using the requested diagram settings.  The completed diagram will be displayed in a RockPlot2D tab in the Options window.

8. You can adjust any of the modeling or diagram option in the pane to the left and then click the Process button again to regenerate the lithology map.

   ! Each time you click the Process button, the existing map display will be replaced. 
   ! * If the lithology model looks OK and you just need to adjust one of the diagram settings, you don't need to keep re-interpolating the model.  Choose Use Existing Model and browse for the lithology .RwMod file to be used for the map.

9. View / save / manipulate / print / export the image in the RockPlot2D window. 
   
   

Tip:  Another way to view a horizontal slice within a lithology model is using the solid model slice tools in RockPlot3D.

 Back to Lithology Menu Summary 

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