A deductive approach of 3D complex fault modeling and application

Complex fault modeling is one of the key technologies in 3D geological modeling. Fault data are sparse, especially where the faults intersect. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a deductive approach for 3D complex fault model. Firstly, based on multi-source data, such as exploration and attribute data, the hanging wall and footwall of marker strata of each fault are modeled as a ring composed of a series of three-dimensional coordinate of the discrete points. And then, the fault throws on each non-marker stratum are calculated. Secondly, by dividing the priority of faults, the discrete points of the hanging wall and footwall on each non-marker stratum are calculated by intersecting the fault plane with the non-marker strata under the priority of faults. The calculation increases the number of point data on the fault. Based on the intersection points formed by the plane of higher-level fault and the fault line of lower-level fault, the intersections of faults are deduced. Fault lines on each stratum are obtained by intersecting faults with collapse columns and special geological bodies such as lenses. The discrete points on each fault plane are processed through Delaunay triangulation to generate the fault plane model. The proposed method is applied to build a 3D geological modeling of a mine in real case. The model represents the morphology, key locations, and spatial relationships of faults, improving the accuracy of fault models.