Use of Computer Workstations in the Study of Environmental Geology: Integration of Shallow Reflection Seismic, V.S.P., and Well Data

Alex Martinez, John F. Hopkins, Howard R. Feldman, Alan J. Feltz, Timothy R. Carr, John H. Doveton, David R. Collins, Ross A. Black, Neil L. Anderson

Many projects underway at Kansas involve application of geophysical and geological methods to a variety of environmental questions and problems associated with salt dissolution. The Permian salts are present in the shallow subsurface of the central and southern parts of Kansas. Environmental problems differ in scale from large-scale salt water contamination of entire aquifers, to localized dissolution collapse features. Causation is a combination of natural processes and anthropogenic activities (e.g., irrigation and oil field activities).

An underutilized application of the workstation is color image transformation and treatment of the transformed wireline log data as "seismic" traces for the purposes of processing, interpretation and display. Such a transform can combine data from porosity. gamma, and density tools generating a color coded "crossplot log" for each well. A well-designed color transformation of wireline log data from multiple wells maximizes both spatial and compositional information content, and provides a readily interpretable image of the subsurface geology. The transformed image in, either 2D or 3D, can be treated on the workstation as "seismic" data easing the data handling burdens through use of computerized techniques designed for interpretation of seismic data.

Various geophysical methods are also used to image the geology of the shallow subsurface (0 - 100m). These methods include high-resolution seismic reflection (2-d and 3-d), vertical seismic profiling, and ground penetrating radar, and are used in conjunction with a computerized interpretation system. The system allows efficient, detailed, and integrated study to be performed at these sites. Examples from throughout Kansas are used to illustrate the utility of using the computer workstation to perform integrated studies of environmental problems.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #91020©1995 AAPG Annual Convention, Houston, Texas, May 5-8, 1995