Synopsis of current three-dimensional geological mapping and modeling in Geological Survey organizations

Abstract

Since 2001, six workshops on three-dimensional (3-D) geological mapping have been conducted in association with meetings of the Geological Society of America (GSA) and the Geological Association of Canada. The workshops have documented progress and established working relationships among an international group of geologists who have been developing new methods for geological mapping largely to address the transition from traditional two-dimensional (2-D) to 3-D geological mapping (also referred to as 3-D geological modeling). This transition has been the direct result of increased societal need for a more detailed, improved understanding of the subsurface to address critical land- and water-use issues (Thorleifson et al. 2010), coupled with significant technological advancements in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), digital cartography, data storage and analysis, and visualization techniques (Whitmeyer et al. 2010).