Development of new, integrated computer modelling and inversion methods for applied geophysics and for joint geology-geophysics Earth modelling

开发新的集成计算机建模和反演方法，用于应用地球物理学和地质-地球物理学联合地球建模

• 批准号: RGPIN-2018-06626
• 负责人: Farquharson, Colin
• 金额: $ 3.13万
• 依托单位: Memorial University of Newfoundland
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2018-01-01 至 2019-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=650490
• 关键词: Development; new; integrated; computer; modelling

The goal of the proposed research programme is to develop improved computer modelling and interpretation methods for geophysical survey data that can be truly integrated with modern computerized geological model-building techniques.******It is generally recognized that the easy-to-find ore deposits have all been discovered. Deposits are often missed because of the complexity of the geological environment in which they are hosted, especially when the geometrical and structural relationships of the host rocks are complicated and hard to unravel.******In the last decade or so, the use of geophysical inversion software that can construct 3D subsurface distributions of a physical property (i.e., a geophysical Earth model) from most types of geophysical survey data has become widespread. Existing inversion technology has proven to be successful in providing reliable, robust quantitative information about the location, depth, size and composition of ore deposits when the geological environment is not particularly complicated. However, on its own, existing inversion technology is limited in its ability to distinguish features when the subsurface is more complex, and it is not suited for integration with geological modelling methods.******Recently, methodology and software for constructing 3D geological models, i.e, computer models comprising wireframe surfaces that represent contacts between rock units, faults, and outlines of ore deposits, have been developed. Such models, which are essentially 3D maps of the subsurface, can then be used to better understand the spatial and structural relationships between an ore deposit and its surrounding geological features, and to provide quantitative estimates of the location, depth and size of a mineral deposit. However, the data that such geological model-building methods use is limited to very sparse point measurements and the constructed surfaces are extrapolated throughout large expanses of the subsurface where no geological data exists.******Combining these two processes into a single, integrated procedure will result in Earth modelling capabilities that can handle significantly more complex subsurface scenarios than is currently possible: the structural geological information will reduce the non-uniqueness and indistinctness of the geophysical inversion, and the geophysical information about the larger-scale, averaged physical property distribution will guide extrapolation of the geological surfaces throughout the subsurface,******As such, the new methods will be of particular benefit to the mineral exploration industry, which is a significant contributor to Canada's economy, and its search for new ore deposits. The research will also significantly advance our knowledge and understanding of computational geophysical methods.

拟议研究计划的目标是开发改进的地球物理测量数据计算机建模和解释方法，这些方法可以真正与现代计算机化地质模型构建技术相结合。******人们普遍认为，易于使用的方法发现矿藏已全部发现。由于其所在地质环境的复杂性，特别是当围岩的几何和结构关系复杂且难以阐明时，矿床常常被遗漏。******在过去十年左右的时间里，使用地球物理反演软件可以根据大多数类型的地球物理测量数据构建物理属性的 3D 地下分布（即地球物理地球模型），这种软件的使用已变得普遍。事实证明，当地质环境不是特别复杂时，现有的反演技术可以成功地提供有关矿床位置、深度、大小和成分的可靠、稳健的定量信息。然而，现有的反演技术本身在地下较为复杂的情况下区分特征的能力有限，并且不适合与地质建模方法集成。******最近，用于构建 3D 的方法和软件地质模型，即由表示岩石单元、断层和矿床轮廓之间的接触的线框表面组成的计算机模型已经开发出来。这些模型本质上是地下的 3D 地图，可用于更好地了解矿床与其周围地质特征之间的空间和结构关系，并提供矿床位置、深度和规模的定量估计。然而，此类地质模型构建方法使用的数据仅限于非常稀疏的点测量，并且构建的表面是在不存在地质数据的大面积地下推断的。******将这两个过程组合成一个过程，综合程序将产生地球建模能力，能够处理比目前可能的更加复杂的地下场景：构造地质信息将减少地球物理反演的非唯一性和模糊性，以及关于更大规模、平均的地球物理信息。物理属性分布将指导对整个地下地质表面的外推，******因此，新方法将对矿产勘探行业特别有利，该行业对加拿大经济及其搜寻做出了重大贡献新矿床。该研究还将显着增进我们对计算地球物理方法的认识和理解。