Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Earth Sci.
Sec. Hydrosphere
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/feart.2024.1461658

An algorithm for identifying stratigraphic piles from interpreted boreholes

Provisionally accepted
  • Centre d'hydrogéologie et de géothermie, Faculté des sciences, Université de Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The Stratigraphic Pile (SP) is one of the foundation of most geological studies. It represents, in a compact and practical way, a vertical succession of depositional events over geological time.Accurate definition of the SP is crucial for geological modeling, yet challenges arise when relying on borehole data in the absence of clear biostratigraphic indicators or chronostratigraphical data. This manuscript introduces an algorithm designed to automatically determine the SP using borehole unit sequences. The algorithm also addresses the complexities associated with incomplete sedimentological records and subjective geological interpretations. The algorithm was tested on various datasets, taking into account differences in the number of boreholes and available information. The efficiency of the algorithm was demonstrated through real-world applications, providing a basis for a comprehensive discussion of its advantages, limitations, and potential applications. The proposed methodology assumes that each borehole contains a single occurrence of a stratigraphic unit, taking into account possible interpretation errors and inconsistencies. The algorithm is capable of: automatically determining one or an ensemble of plausible stratigraphic sequences, identifying potential misinterpreted wells, quantifying the vertical relationships of the stratigraphic units, and assisting in the data preprocessing step and in building the geologic concept of the modeling area. In particular, this ensemble of SPs and identified inconsistencies provide valuable insights into the geological history and concepts for a particular area. This research contributes to the refinement of geological modeling workflows and provides a valuable tool for automatic refinement of SP selection.

    Keywords: stratigraphic pile, automated pile, geostatistics, ArchPy, Geological models

    Received: 08 Jul 2024; Accepted: 13 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Schorpp, Straubhaar and Renard. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Ludovic Schorpp, Centre d'hydrogéologie et de géothermie, Faculté des sciences, Université de Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, 2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.