Cross-Section Balancing in Structural Geology
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and NPTEL via Swayam
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ABOUT THE COURSE: Cross-section balancing is a structural geological exercise through which one can learn structural evolution of any deformed terrain. Ductile structures such as folds and brittle structures such as faults can be restored using the balancing techniques. The exercise is beneficial for industrial and especially hydrocarbon geoscience. Through this exercise, one also finds out shortening and extension percentage that the terrain underwent tectonically. INTENDED AUDIENCE: B.Sc., M.Sc. M.Tech students in geoscience, industry persons in geosciencePREREQUISITES: Introduction to Geology in B.Sc. 1st semesterINDUSTRY SUPPORT: Oil & Natural Gas Corporation, Geological Survey of India, Oil India Limited
Syllabus
Week 1:
Week 2:
Week 3:
Week 4:
- Purpose of balancing or restoration of structural cross-sections, examples from published literature involving seismic sections
- Assumptions involved in restoration, introduction to strain parameters
- Finding out area of irregular geometries by various techniques
- How to balance folds of different geometries- I
- How to balance folds of different geometries- II
Week 2:
- How to balance folds of different geometries- III
- How to balance reverse faults-I
- How to balance reverse faults-II
- How to balance normal faults-I
- How to balance normal faults-II
Week 3:
- How to balance rift basins
- How to find out the depth of detachment
- Cross section balancing exercise when volume change happened Busk method of fold geometry extrapolation-I (Elementary)
- Busk method of fold geometry extrapolation-II (Advanced)
- Busk method of fold geometry extrapolation-III (Advanced)
Week 4:
- Kink method of fold geometry extrapolation-I (Elementary)
- Kink method of fold geometry extrapolation-II (Advanced)
- Introduction to 2dmove software
- Introduction to 3dmove software-I
- Introduction to 3dmove software-II
Taught by
Prof. Soumyajit Mukherjee