Tutorial: Create a Borehole Location Map

Estimated time: 2 minutes.

With the "Samples" boreholes still loaded into the Borehole Manger, let’s create a simple borehole location map. (See Opening a Project if necessary.) If you have Google Earth installed on your computer, you can also display the map there.

! In your own work, this is a good way to be sure the borehole locations have been entered correctly – you’ll see "errant" wells quickly.
! It's also a good way to create an initial view and model of the borehole surface topography; you can clip future models and diagrams with that ground surface.

If this is the first lesson you’ve done, please be sure you've (1) opened a project folder, (2) restored the program defaults, and (3) set the output dimensions.
 

1. Return to the Borehole Manager window, if necessary, by clicking on the Borehole Manager tab near the top edge of the program window.
    
2. Click on the Map menu and then click on Borehole Locations.  In this window, you can establish the desired settings for the location map.
   
   

3. Borehole Symbol and Label Options:  Click on the Options button to the right to view the default settings for this map.
   • Symbols: This should be checked, so that the borehole locations will be represented with map symbols shown on each well’s Location datasheet.
   • Borehole IDs: This should be checked, so that the map symbols will show the well name.
   • None of the other boxes should be checked at this time.
   • Click OK to close this window.
      
4. Background Image:  Un-check this option.
    
5. Surface Contours:  Check this box.  This will generate a grid model and contour map of the elevations declared at the boreholes’ surfaces. Expand the heading to access the surface map options.
   • Grid Name: IMPORTANT: Click to the right of the Grid Name prompt to view the name that will be assigned to the surface grid model. Be sure it reads Surface.RwGrd in the prompt box, and click the Save button. You will use this surface grid in later lessons.
   • If you want to take a moment to drill down to the Gridding Options button or the Colored Intervals Color Schemes that are available, feel free to do so.  These settings will be covered in other tutorial lessons.
      
6. Border:  Check this box so that the map will be appended with coordinate labels. Expand this heading.
   • Border Options: Click on the Options button.
   • Border Dimensions: Click on this tab, near the bottom of the window, and choose Output Dimensions.
   • There are a number of options under this heading that you can look at if you wish; again the factory defaults should be fine.
   • Click OK to close the Border Options window.
      
7. Click the Process button at the bottom of the Borehole Location Map Options window to continue.

The program will first create a grid model of the surface elevations, storing the model under the "surface.rwGrd" file name. It will represent these elevations with color-filled contours. It will then create a map of the well locations, reading the location information, symbol style, and borehole name from the Location tabs.

The completed map will be displayed in the "RockPlot2D" tab in the Options window.  RockPlot2D is where "flat" or two-dimensional images are displayed.

! RockPlot2D has many drawing, editing, measurement, and export tools. 

8. If you have Google Earth installed on your computer, you can display this map there.
   • In the RockPlot2D window, click the Google Earth button above the map.
   • Choose Drape so the map will lie along the ground.
   • Transparent Background: Check this option so that the white portions of the map become invisible.
   • Click the Process button at the bottom of the window. RockWorks will generate a KMZ file containing your map image.
   • Click OK to confirm the KMZ name and confirm that you wish to launch Google Earth.
     
     Google Earth should launch and your map displayed.

   

   • If you want to save this map to your Places in Google Earth, right-click on the "Rw2D Graphic" item under Temporary Places, and select Save to My Places.
     
     
9. Return to RockWorks and the map window. Close this map window by clicking on the Windows close button ("X") in the upper-right corner. You can answer "no" to the do-you-want-to-save prompt, though in your own work you’ll probably want to save many of your maps.
    

  Borehole Location Maps
 

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