New geological models from the British Geological Survey

Over the last decade many Geological Survey Organisations worldwide have begun to communicate their geological understanding of the subsurface through 3D geological models, and the traditional printed geological map has been increasingly phased out. This shift of emphasis has been made possible by modern computers, geological modelling software and delivery tools. The role of the geologist has however remained essentially the same, to gather all the relevant evidence (maps, boreholes, geophysics etc) and to come up with a 3D interpretation of the geology. Today BGS uses a range of modelling techniques varying from interpretative, deterministic to stochastic, depending on the geological situation and how much data is available. The main modelling software includes GSI3D, GOCAD-SKUA used for structural geological modelling, Petrel which is mainly used for reservoir modelling and also 2DMove for section restoration and fault dynamics.