Computer Stereograms of Oklahoma Subsurface Geology

Harry W. Todd

Three-dimensional stereoscopic illustrations have not been a standard part of the subsurface geologist's tool kit. Now, the immense complexity of stereograms can be resolved by inexpensive software on a personal computer, with which the subsurface geologist can gain an entirely new viewpoint. These new illustrations yield new patterns, new relationships, and prospective anomalies. The illustrations are particularly helpful in areas of complex structural geology. This study presents a regional sampling of this new mode of geologic illustration; Oklahoma was chosen because of its wide variety of structural styles, the prolific reserves associated with those structures, and the abundance of geologic data.

A statewide data base of 2,806 structural elevations on the base of the Pennsylvanian System was digitized from scout-ticket tops. In addition, three detailed data bases of local structures were digitized, using all the available structural control plus interpreted points to aid the programming. Contour maps and block diagrams were constructed with readily available, inexpensive software, using kriging algorithms. Stereo pairs were created by rotating the blocks 4° within the computer program. The pairs were positioned 2.5 in. apart to match an average viewer's interpupillary distance. The three-dimensional blocks may be viewed with a stereoscope or with naked eyes focused on a distant point.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #91039©1987 AAPG Mid-Continent Section Meeting, Tulsa, Oklahoma, September 27-29, 1987.