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Chapter Four

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7 views

Chapter Four

Uploaded by

abush162223
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Chapter 4

Descriptive
Geometry and
Geologic Maps
Chapter 4
4. Descriptive Geometry and Geologic Maps
4.1 Three - point problems and Construction of Structure
contours
4.1.1 The Three - point problems
4.1.2 Construction of Structure Contours
4.1.2.1 Plot Structure Contours on a Plane, Given Its
Strike and Dip
4.1.2.2 Find Strike and Dip of a Plane from Structure
Contours
4.1.2.3 Structure contours derived from topography

4.2 True and apparent dip of inclined beds


4.3 Width of Outcrop, true and vertical
thickness of beds
4.3.1 Width of outcrop
4.3.2 Vertical thickness and true thickness
Chapter 4
Descriptive Geometry and Geologic Maps
4.1 Three - point problems and Construction of Structure contours
4.1.1 The Three - point problems

If you have three points on a plane, you can


find the plane.
In a geologic application, the three points
can be
 outcrops,
 elevations encountered in drilling, and so on.

Accurate values of strike and dip direction


can be derived by plotting some structure
contour.
Procedures
Connect the three known points with straight
lines. Start with the highest elevation and
extend lines to lower elevation point.
Move to the second and – highest elevation point
and extend lines to lower elevation points.
Divide sides of triangle connecting biggest
elevation
Join two points of same elevation. This line is the
structure contour for this value, which indicates
strike direction.
Make further divisions of triangle sides to find
other intermediate elevations.
Dip direction is given by any line perpendicular
to strike direction towards decreasing elevation.
Tan dip angle = Difference in elevation between X and Known points
Horizontal distance between X and
Known point

Interpolation
Let as say you have two points at 924 and 677 meters.
You want to locate the 900, 800, and 700 meter points
between them.

On the map, the line between the two points represents a
vertical difference of 924-677 = 247 meters.
The 700 meter point lies (700-677)/(924-677) = 23/247
= .093 of the way from point 677 to point 924,
the 800 meter point 123/247 or .498 of the way, and so
on.
Caution/warning!
If you have well data, you MUST convert it
to an elevation before doing this construction.
If you have a bed at 300 m depth in a well,
and the wellhead is at 800 m, the elevation
of the bed is 500 m.
1. Construct the structure
contours on this bed, given
three elevations.
2. Interpolate between the three
pairs of points.
3. Construct structure contours
between matching elevations.

4. Construct additional contours


parallel and equally spaced.
4.1.2 Construction of Structure Contours
It is possible to define the topography of the
ground by means of contour lines. So we can
draw contour lines on a bedding plane.
These we call structure contours or strike
lines,
 the former since they join points of equal
height,
the latter since they are parallel to the
direction of strike.
Straight structure contours representing a
smooth geological surface.
The even/constant spacing of structure
contours reflects a uniform angle of dip.
Dip direction is perpendicular to the strike
line, in the direction where elevation is
decreasing.

Tan dip angle = Altitude difference between two structure contours


Horizontal distance between two same structure
contours
Curving structure contours show that the
strike direction varies.
Strike lines will be straight, parallel and if
dips are constant – equally spaced.
4.1.2.1 Plot Structure Contours on a Plane, Given Its
Strike and Dip
1. Draw a simple cross-section and measure
the spacing

2. Calculate the spacing trigonometrically


Interpolation
Say your outcrop is at an elevation of 871 meters.
You need to be able to construct the 800, 700, 600 ....
contours.
The 871 meter outcrop will be 71% of the way between
the 800 and 900 meter contours, and
29% of the way from the 900 meter contour to the 800
meter contour.
After you calculate S for the diagram, calculate .71S. The
800 meter contour lies this far from the outcrop - in the
down dip direction because it's lower than the outcrop.
The 900 meter contour lies .29S in the up dip direction,
because it's higher.
1. Construct the
structure contours
on this sill.
2. Determine the
contour spacing,
either by trigonometry
or by drawing a cross-
section.
3. Draw a line
perpendicular to the
strike and plot
elevation points,
interpolating as
necessary.

4. Draw the structure


contours parallel to the
strike.
4.1.2.2 Find Strike and Dip of a Plane from Structure
Contours
The strike is easy -- it's simply the azimuth
of the structure contours.
In this case we have the spacing of the
structure contours and need to find the dip.
There are two ways to do this.
1. Draw a simple cross-section and measure
the dip
2. Calculate the dip trigonometrically
1. Find the dip and
strike of this layer
from its structure
contours.
2. The strike is simply
the azimuth of the
structure contours.
3. Determine the dip
either by drawing a
cross-section or by
trigonometry.

The contour Spacing S


should be measured by
ruler on the map and
multiply by the Scale.

4. Final result.
4.1.2.3 Structure contours derived from topography

Topographic contours and structure


contours both work on the principles of
connecting points of equal elevation.
But they represent different particular
surface.
First choose the top or the base of
geological surface to be contoured.
Start your construction where the outcrop
of the surface crosses topographic
contours.
Where the outcrop crosses or meets a
topographic contour, you know the surface
must be at the same altitude as the
topographic contour.
Consider the junction the mudstone and the limestone at
point A1, A2 and A3 (see 2 below).
These points all lie at 300 m where the outcrop of rock
and land surface are at the same elevation.
A line joining the four points is a strike line. X Y

LEGEND
1) Sst 2) Sst

Structure contours
Sst Sandstone Sh Sh
A Lst A Lst
Sh Shale

B B
Lst Limestone Mst Mst

B1 B1
Mst Mudstone

A1 A1
Elevation
contour Sst Sst
Lst Sh Lst Sh
Mst Mst

N A2

B2
A2

B2

Mst Mst
B3 B3

A3 A3

Sst Sst
Lst Sh Lst Sh
200

0 500 1000 2000 m


300
A second strike line drawn through B, B1, B2 and B3 is
parallel to the first and is the 200 m level on the lower
surface of the limestone.
In the above Figure: Construction of strike
lines for planar beds crossing a valley and
calculating dip angle.
Note that the 300' contour is west of the 400'
contour, indicating that the bedding contacts
dip downwards the west.
To determine the strike, measure the angle
between your constructed strike lines and
the North direction on the map. In the
above example, the strike is north-south (= 000
= 180).
dip = Arctan (H/S) = Arctan( 100/225) =
Arctan( 0.4)
= 21.8o
4.2 True and apparent dip of inclined beds
If the slope of a geological boundary or
bedding plane is measured in any direction
between the strike direction and the
direction of maximum dip, the angle of dip
in that direction is known as an apparent dip.
Its value may range between 0° and the
value of the maximum or true dip.
Tan apparent dip = Tangent true dip x Cosine
β
 tan1 (100’/500’) = 11.3o
 Let's say you measure  = 30o of the map. Use the
formula:
tan () = tan() * cos()
 Where  = apparent dip,  = true dip, and  = angle
between strike and cross section line.
 In the above example where you know  and  and want to
solve for  so that you can show that bedding plane
accurately in the cross section you are drawing, use:
 = tan -1[tan() tan()]

 = tan-1 [tan (11.3o) tan(30o) ]


 = 9 8o
4.3 Width of Outcrop, true and vertical thickness of beds
4.3.1 Width of outcrop
If the ground surface is level the width of outcrop of a bed of
constant thickness is a measure of the dip /lower the angle the
wide the outcrop/.

Generally, beds outcrop on sloping ground and width of outcrop is


a function of the dip of the beds and the slope of the ground (True
thickness).

In the case of horizontal strata the geological boundaries are


parallel to the topographic contours.

In dipping strata the geological boundaries cross the topographic


contours


The above section shows the different widths of
outcrop produced by a bed of the same thickness with
high dip and low dip.
 the three factors which influence the outcrop width
of a formation.
4.3.2 Vertical thickness and true thickness
Since the beds are inclined, the vertical
thickness, penetrated by a borehole is
greater than the true thickness measured
perpendicular to the geological boundaries
(interfaces).
The angle α between VT (vertical thickness)

and T (true thickness) is equal to the


angle of dip.

Cosine α = T , T = VT x Cosine α
 VT
 Fig. Section shows the relationship between vertical thickness
(VT) and the true thickness (T) of a dipping bed.
The true thickness of the formation is measured at
right angles to its bounding surfaces.

It is the shortest distance between the top and


bottom boundaries.

Measurement at any angle will give a greater value


called the apparent thickness.

When the beds are vertical their outcrop width equals


their true thickness.

Greater width at the surface is explained by lower dip.

The increase in the width of each formation could


suggest a progressive increase in sediment thickness
or the units have to be tilted to a smaller angle.
Calculating true thickness of a bed
Calculating true thickness from a map is
actually very simple; just plug all the
necessary numbers into the following
equation:

True thickness (t) = width of outcrop (w) x


sin (θ) (angle of dip)
Example: If the width of an outcrop is 100m
and has a dip of 14o then
t = 100m x sin (14)
t = 24.2 m

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