--> Abstract: Curvature for Visualization of Surface Morphology, by Bruce Hart and Justine Sagan; #90039 (2005)

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Curvature for Visualization of Surface Morphology

Bruce Hart and Justine Sagan
McGill University, Montreal, QC

We illustrate the use of curvature attributes to help define stratigraphic features using digital x, y, z data such as seismic horizons, swath bathymetry and digital elevation model data. Curvature attributes, a type of horizon attribute, are commonly used to identify structural features (e.g., subtle faults) in 3-D seismic data but their application to stratigraphic problems is less common. The case studies illustrated herein show how curvature may be used to help identify depositional features, stratigraphic and structural compartments, unconformities and other features of interest to petroleum geoscientists. The examples come from clastic and carbonate examples that range in age from Precambrian to Recent. We show how various visualization techniques, such as manipulation of color bars and illumination angle, may be employed to highlight morphological features of interest in the data.

Curvature is a two-dimensional property of a curve that indicates the degree to which a curve deviates from a straight line. For a surface that is curved in three dimensions, there are many ways in which curvature may be defined. Roberts (2000, First Break) tabulated various curvature measures, including curvatures in the strike direction, dip direction, contour direction, Gaussian curvature and others. We have generated a freeware application that takes these equations and adds the ability to calculate curvature using different apertures (i.e., different wavelengths of curvature). This software may be downloaded from http://eps.mcgill.ca/~hart/CURVZ_website.htm.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90039©2005 AAPG Calgary, Alberta, June 16-19, 2005