Table Of ContentThree-Dimensional Modeling with
Geoscientific Information Systems
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Seri es C: Mathematical and Physical Sciences -Voi. 354
Three-Dimensional Modeling
with Geoscientific
Information Systems
edited by
A. Keith Turner
Department of Geology and Geological Engineering,
Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado, U.S.A.
Springer Science+Business Media, B.V.
Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on
Three-Dimensional Modeling with Geoscientific Information Systems
Santa Barbara, California, U.S.A.
December 10-15, 1989
Llbrary of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
NArD Advanced Rese.reh HorkShOp an Three-Duens Iona I Mode 1 Ing W1 th
Geose lent If le Inforltat Ion Systen (1989 Santa Barcara. Ca I jf. )
Three-dll1enslonal modellng \lah geosc18ntlfic InforlllTlan systellS
I ea 1 ted by A. Ke I th Turner.
p. CII. -- (NATD ASI serns. Serles C. Matneflilltlcal and
physlcal sclencas; voI. 354)
-Pr-oceedlngs of fnl NArD Advanced Research HorkShOp an Three
-Dll11enslonal Model Ing wlth GeosClentlflC Infol"'lutlen Systells. Santa
Barbara. Callforna. USA, 10-15 Oecuber '989~--T.p. versa.
"Publlshed In cooperat Ion wlth NArD SClentlflC: AffaH's DlvlSlon.
Includes Index.
ISBN 978-94-010-5128-6 ISBN 978-94-011-2556-7 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-94-011-2556-7
,. Info,-,ut 1 on sto'-'ge and retr leva I systells--Oeo 1o gy--Congresses.
2. Inforllatlon storage ano retr1!val systeas--Mlnes and IIlneral
resources--Congresses. 3. Oeo I og Ica I lIoda 11ng--Congresses.
4. Three-dll1enslonal d1Splay systells--Cengresses. 1. Turner, A.
Kenl"1, 1941- . II. No,-th AtlantIc Trllty OrganlZatlen.
SClentlflc AH,lrs Dlvlslen. III. Tltle. IV. Serles: NATO ASI
ser liS. Slrlls C. Hath •• atlcal and physlcal SC18nces ; ne. 354.
CE48.8.N34 1989
550' .,' 13--dc20 91-41147
CIP
ISBN 978-94-010-5128-6
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Originally published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 1992
No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ix
Photograph of Group x
Organizing Committee xii
Captions for Color Plates xiii
Color Plates xv
Part A: Preface and Achievements of the Workshop 1
1. Preface 3
A.K. Turner
2. Achievements of the Workshop 7
A.K. Turner
Part B: Def"mition of the Problem 11
3. Spatial data handling in the geosciences 13
D.W. Rhind
4. 3-D modelling with geoscientific information 29
systems: the problem
B. Kelk
5. Geologic data handling 39
c.c. Fried
6. The role of the conceptual datamodel in 45
software application integration
M. Reipen and J. Ridder
vi
Part C: Existing Three-Dimensional Geoscientific 57
Information Systems
7. A spatial information system with advanced 59
modeling capabilities
M. Kavouras
8. The DASDBS geokernal - an extensible database 69
system for GIS
W. Waterfeld and H-J Schek
9. Three-dimensional solid modeling of geo-objects 85
using non-uniform rational B-splines (NURBS)
T.R. Fisher and R.Q. Wales
10. A mapping approach to three-dimensional modeling 107
R.C. Belcher and A. Paradis
11. GOCAD: a computer aided design program for 123
geological applications
J-L Mallet
Part D: Three-Dimensional Data Structures and 143
Display Methods
12. Modeling natural objects via octrees 145
I. Gargantini
13. 3-D structures for the encoding of geometry 159
and internal properties
P. Brunet
14. Methods for the efficient storage of spatial 189
geologic data
M.J. Durst and T.L. Kunii
15. Key 3D modelling concepts for geoscientific analysis 215
J.F. Raper
vii
16. Geometry for three-dimensional GIS in 233
geoscientific applications
AU. Frank and T.B. Buyong
17. GIDBS: a database system for hierarchically 259
represented gray-scale images
X. Mao, 1. Fujishiro, T.L. Kunii, and A Shimizu
Part E: Applications of Three-Dimensional Geoscientific 283
Modeling
18. Applications of 3-D geoscientific modeling for 285
hydrocarbon exploration
D.L. Sims
19. Two major problems in representing geological 291
well data and seismic data in petroleum-bearing
regions via 3-D geographic information systems
J.W. Harbaugh and P.A Martinez
20. The application of new 3-D computer modelling 303
techniques to mining
S.W. Houlding
21. Applications of three-dimensional geoscientific 327
mapping and modeling systems to hydrogeological
studies
A K. Turner
Part F: Transcriptions of Conference Committee Discussions 365
22. Report of discussions by the computer scientists 367
J.F. Raper
23. Report of discussions by the geoscientists 375
B. Kelk
viii
24. Report of discussions by the members of 381
national geological surveys
B. Kelk
25. Report of discussions by the hydrocarbon 385
interest group
J.F. Raper
26. Report of discussions by the minerals 391
exploration interest group
R.M. Bruce
27. Report of discussions by the environmental 397
sciences interest group
A.K. Turner
28. Report of closing discussions 401
A. K. Turner
Glossary of Terms 411
Survey of Participants 417
List of Participants 421
Index 433
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many individuals have assisted the director and the members of the organizing committee
for the NATO-ARW on "Three-Dimensional Modeling with Geoscientific Information
Systems". However the list is so long, and the risk of overlooking someone so great, that
we will not list individual names.
We would like to express our appreciation to the NATO Science Committee and the
United States Geological Survey for their financial support. Without this support, we
would have been quite unable to develop the conference program or these proceedings.
Additional valuable support was received from several computer software and hardware
suppliers, who loaned several valuable workstations for use by the conference participants
to pursue "hands-on" demonstrations of the many techniques being discussed. It was
estimated that approximately $250,000. worth of computer equipment was loaned for the
duration of this Workshop. Not only was the equipment loaned free of charge, but the
costs of shipping the equipment to and from the meeting site were also covered. This
was a most generous and important contribution.
The workshop also received valuable logistical help from the National Center for
Geographical Information Analysis (NCGIA) located nearby at the University of
California at Santa Barbara. Their assistance in many organizational details, in supplying
local transportation services, and in their assistance with the transcription of notes from
several discussion sessions, is greatly appreciated.
The management and staff at the Casa de Maria Conference Center were most gracious
and helped in many ways to make the Workshop participants enjoy their visit to southern
California. We wish to formally acknowledge their support and assistance.
Finally, we wish to acknowledge the tremendous outpouring of enthusiasm and support
from the participants. Their many offers of help at the conference and during the
preparation of these proceedings have been greatly appreciated.
Dr. A. Keith Turner, Director
NATO-ARW "Three Dimensional Modeling with
7
Geoscientific Information Systems"
Golden, Colorado
30 July, 1991
x
