Abstract
Abstract. One of the main tasks in 3D geological modeling is the boundary parametrization of the subsurface from geological observations and geophysical inversions. Several approaches have been developed for geometric inversion and joint inversion of geophysical datasets. However, the robust, quantitative integration of models and datasets with different spatial coverage, resolution, and levels of sparsity remains challenging. One promising approach for recovering the boundary of the geological units is the utilization of a level set inversion method with potential field data. We focus on constraining 3D geometric gravity inversion with sparse lower-uncertainty information from a 2D seismic section. We use a level set approach to recover the geometry of geological bodies using two synthetic examples and data from the geologically complex Yamarna Terrane (Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia). In this study, a 2D seismic section has been used for constraining the location of rock unit boundaries being solved during the 3D gravity geometric inversion. The proposed work is the first we know of that automates the process of adding spatially distributed constraints to the 3D level set inversion. In many hard-rock geoscientific investigations, seismic data are sparse, and our results indicate that unit boundaries from gravity inversion can be much better constrained with seismic information even though they are sparsely distributed within the model. Thus, we conclude that it has the potential to bring the state of the art a step further towards building a 3D geological model incorporating several sources of information in similar regions of investigation.
Highlights
Inverted models from geophysical inversions have broad applications in 3D geological modeling if they specify distinct rock units rather than just petrophysical distributions
In many hard-rock geoscientific investigations, seismic data are sparse, and our results indicate that unit boundaries from gravity inversion can be much better constrained with seismic information even though they are sparsely distributed within the model
Using several geophysical techniques that enable us to recover the geometry of the specified rock type leads to an inverted model consistent with geophysical datasets that is compatible with geological interpretations
Summary
Inverted models from geophysical inversions have broad applications in 3D geological modeling if they specify distinct rock units rather than just petrophysical distributions. One way to achieve this is by using geometric inversion approaches. These methods are receiving increasing attention in geophysical inverse problems with a focus on recovering the shape of different rock units. Using several geophysical techniques that enable us to recover the geometry of the specified rock type leads to an inverted model consistent with geophysical datasets that is compatible with geological interpretations.
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