3D geological mapping - uncovering the subsurface to increase environmental understanding

Geological models provide geologists with a mechanism to express their geological knowledge and concepts in an explicit form. The construction of accurate and defensible 3D geological models requires therefore, not only high quality data such as geological maps and borehole records, but also an understanding of geological processes and features. This is a necessity, particularly in complex geological environments, where the data available is unlikely to be sufficient to describe geological structures alone. Figure 1 shows such an example, where discontinuous lense of clays, silts, sands and peats have been delineated by a geologist using the best available data and conceptualisation of geological processes.