Creating a thickness map

In JewelSuite 2026.1 Subsurface Modeling you can incorporate dense and sparse data representations into your structural model (for more on dense and sparse data, see The stratigraphic model in the modeling workflow). The Structural Modeling and 3D Gridding workflows allow you to use this data in a hierarchical fashion. You can create surfaces based on sparse data by aligning them to surfaces based on dense data, either in a parallel (conform) or proportional fashion (see Editing the 3D structure zonation). This way you can create laterally continuous surfaces based on sparse data guided by a dense reference surface.

In some cases this hierarchical alignment may not be sufficient to produce adequate results. For example, dense surfaces created from marker data may not show the anticipated geometry or zones in the 3D grid and you may not obtain the thickness distribution you intend. In this case, you can use the Thickness Maps workflow.

The lateral and vertical configuration of a zone is in some scenarios easier to understand and to handle than the depth of an event and its corresponding surface representation. The thickness of a zone is typically dominated by depositional characteristics. For example a basin fill may show a very gentle change in sediment thickness in a certain direction. Even more complex fluvial systems follow certain geological patterns. A thickness distribution can also change during its geological life time as differential compaction may reduce the thickness in highly porous clay sections much more than sand dominated sections which lack a prominent compaction behavior. All these systems have in common that the thickness distribution is linked to the early depositional circumstances which can be explained and modeled with geological concepts.

Any overprinting by structural processes like burial, faulting and to some degree folding adds more complexity to the events that define these zones (see figure above). The thickness of the zones, or the relative depth between the events is however largely maintained during the geological life-time. Therefore it is beneficial in some scenarios to interpret and model an event on the basis of the zone thickness rather than its depth.

In settings where the thickness of a zone is dominated by tectonic processes such as growth faults or salt movement, the thickness distribution provides valuable insight. Tectonic phases can be interpreted or checked based on the thickness distribution as a qualitative measure. The use of a thickness map in these scenarios is often beneficial as the thickness distribution of a zone is commonly less complex than the structural depth of its bounding events.