Seismic data for a three-dimensional (3-D) marine survey were simulated with a scaled physical modeling system and used to illustrate an interpretational procedure based on a vector refresh graphics system. The physical model included stratigraphic and structural features. A 3-D migration of the raw data formed the main data base for interpretation. Interpretation progressed by displaying seismic sections (vertical and horizontal) on a graphics screen in raster format and drawing interpretational lines using a data tablet controlled cursor in a vector format. The accumulated line drawings were displayed as a rotatable, 3-D drawing from which the three-dimensional aspects of the geologic features could be appreciated. Selected drawings and raster displays were produced in real time on an electrostatic plotter; color prints and high resolution sections were output through the host computer as batch jobs. An important element in the procedure was the number of grey levels used for the displays. Using two grey levels (sign-bit sampling) the whole data volume can be scanned rapidly. Using 64 grey levels each image is full of detail, but the cycle time to a new image is long.

Date Published: 8 April 1983
PDF: 6 pages
Proc. SPIE 0367, Processing and Display of Three-Dimensional Data, (8 April 1983); doi: 10.1117/12.934306

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 0367:
Processing and Display of Three-Dimensional Data
James J. Pearson, Editor(s)