A semi-automatic method for 3D modeling and visualizing complex geological bodies

The technology of 3D geological modeling is a powerful tool for representing the geological structures and subsurface strata distribution, which can effectively assist in the geological interpretation and analysis work. However, most existing modeling methods usually need the supports of professional geological modeling software. These systems often have tedious data preprocessing, complex modeling and visualization processes, and non-professionals have difficulty mastering them in a short time. In order to improve the operability and intuitiveness for 3D geological modeling and visualization, this paper proposes a semi-automatic method for 3D modeling and visualizing complex geological bodies by combining typical GIS systems and 3D modeling software such as ArcGIS and SketchUp. First, the Python object-oriented program language and Arcpy package are combined for preprocessing borehole data automatically. Next, the multiple 3D analysis and file conversion tools of Arctoolbox and ModelBuilder are combined for constructing a model to generate strata interfaces. Then, the makefaces and Boolean plug-ins of SketchUp are combined for semi-automatically constructing the 3D model of complex geological bodies and implementing various forms of visualization. Last, the borehole data and geological maps acquired from the geological survey are used for testing our modeling method. The modeling processes and results show that the method can quickly construct the 3D model of complex geological bodies with very complex geological structures such as missing strata, faults and lenses. This paper shows the simplicity and practicality of the proposed method for modeling and visualizing complex geological bodies.