Joint 4-D Visualisation and Analysis of Geodynamic Models and Geological Data

Abstract

Abstract Advancements in computational methods have shaped investigations of Earth’s interior. Geodynamicists model Earth’s convective mantle using super-computers, and such complex models create massive outputs that necessitate solutions for effective visualisation and comparison to geological constraints. Here we present an open-source framework for robust 4-D (3-D space and time) joint visualisation of geodynamic models and geological data. The framework brings together geological data and geodynamic models in the same platform allowing for new ways of analysis and more insights on the relationship between Earth’s interior and surface. It has applications in both basic research and frontier resource exploration, and is dynamic enough to be used in various applications that require overlapping spatial data over time. In this work, we provide methods and examples to visualise geological data with various geometries in 3-D, showcase applications including mapping Earth’s mantle temperature anomalies and chemical composition, tracking materials such as sinking cold mantle structures over time, and using virtual drillholes to probe into Earth’s interior for which properties with depth are analysed.