Print this pageA Custom Software Approach to Visualizing 4D Models: An 
Example
From the CO2 Sequestration Study Area, Lower Tuscaloosa
Formation, Cranfield Field, Mississippi
John R. Andrews and Jong-Won Choi
Bureau of Economic Geology, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78758
Numerous software packages exist to help geoscientists analyze, visualize, and model
multidimensional geological processes, but when it comes time to share the results of
their findings, significant barriers remain. Through presentations and publications--
with attendant maps, charts, images, and animations--we are able to share information
with colleagues and the general public, but the complex geometries of geological formations
and processes found in some studies are often difficult to adequately convey
with conventional media. At the Bureau of Economic Geology we've developed a strategy
to deal with this shortcoming: custom software in which project data are collected
and organized for collaborators and/or the general public to peruse. These 3D projects
are interactive such that users can toggle data layers on/off, rotate the data, zoom in/out,
and launch fly-throughs, among other capabilities. With our Cranfield Field
project
we've added a new capability to the software: the ability to display 4D flow simulations.
AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90158©2012 GCAGS and GC-SEPM 6nd Annual Convention, Austin, Texas, 21-24 October 2012