| ki haa ui ta ime im im ik kas ie drill holes. ‘This area is in the northeastern corner of the Bree Creek Quadrangle, and the formation involved is the Bree Conglomerate. The geologic map of the Bree Creek Quadrangle may be found in an envelope at the back of this book. As explained later in this chapter, you will use it often as you work through the following chapters There are various techniques for contouring numerical data such as the elevations in Fig. G-3. In the case of geologic structure contours, there are usually not enough data to produce an un- equivocal map, so experienced interpretation be- comes extremely valuable. Although there are computer programs that will draw contour lines between data points, such a program cannot sub stitute for the judgment of an experienced gcolo- Bist. For example, if four structure contours must pass between two elevation points, a computer program may space these contours at equal inter- vals. Ifthe geologist has independent evidence that the surface to be contoured steepens toward one of the elevation points, he or she can draw the strac- ture contours accordingly (i.e, progressively closer together} to depict the steepening surface. Problem 2.2 Draw structure contours on Fig. G3, Use @ 400-R contour interval (including 0. 400, 800, 1200, et.) Assume that, unlike the example in Fig. 2.8, this surface is not broken by faults, so your structure contours should be continuous. If you do not know how to begin, heres a supges- tion. Find a point, such as the 795-ft point, with an elevation that is close to the elevation of one of the contour ines. You know thatthe 800-ft contour passes very close to this point. but where does it go from there? To the east and northeast are to points with elevations of 1013 ft and 516 ft; 800 lies between these two elevations, so the 800-f contour must pass between these two points, closer to the 1013-ft point than to the 516+ft point, Once you have a few lines raw, the est will fall into place. Your structure con: tours should be smaoth, subparalil ines. Use a pencil this is a trialanc-eror opesiton, Be sure to label the elevation of each structure contour as you draw it ‘When you are finished you should beable to recog. nize some folds. Using the symbols in Appendix F, raw appropriate fold symbols on your strcture-con. tour map. Also draw a few stike-and-dip symbols on. the map, but without specifying the amount of dip, ‘The three-point problem In many geologic situations, a bedding plane or fault surface may crop out at several localities If the surface is planar and the elevations of three points on the surface are known, then the classic “three-point” problem can be used to determine the attitude of the plane. Consider Fig. 2.9a, which shows three points (A, B, C) on a topographic map. These three points lic on the upper surface of a sandstone layer. The problem is to determine the attitude of the layer. We will solve this problem in two different ways, using fist a structure-contour approach, then a two-apparent- dip approach, Solution 1 1 Place a piece of tracing paper over the map, and label the three known points and their elevations, On the tracing paper draw a line connecting the highest of the thrce points with the lowest. Take the tracing paper off the map. Now find the point on this line that is equal in elevation to the intermediate point. In Fig. 2.9b, point B has an clevation of 160 ft, so point BY, the point on the AC line that is equal in elevation to point B, lies 6/10 of the way from point A {100 ft) to point C (200 fi). 2. The bed in question is assumed ro be planar, so B’ must lie in the plane. We now have two points, B and BY, of equal elevation lying in the plane of the bed, which define the strike of the plane, The structure-contour line B-B' is drawn, and the strike is meas- ured with a protractor to be N48°E (Fig. 2.9e), 3° The direction and amount of dip are deter- mined by drawing a perpendicular line to the strike line from point A, the lowest of the three known outcrop points (Fig. 2.9d). The amount of dip can be determined trigonome tically as shown: change in ee _ 60 map distance 1047 wand 0.57 = tan 30", 8 = 30°c 60 of distance 05 (307 10 rom Ato C aw eq A ito 5 I 1 ore / a Db é Fig. 2.9 Solution of a three-poine problem using a combination of graphical and txigonometric techniques. (a) Three coplanar points (A, B, and C) on a topographic map. (b) Location ofa fourth point, Bat the same elevation as point B. {ch Line BB! defines the strike of the plane. (@) Dip-izetion line perpendicular othe line B-B Solution 2 Another approach to solving a three-point prob- lem is to convert it into a two-apparent-dip prob- Jem, as follows: 1. Draw lines from the lowest of the three points to each of the other two points (Fig. 2.10) ‘These two lines represent apparent-dip direc tions from B to A and from Cto A. 2. Measure the bearing and length of lines CA and BA on the map (Fig. 2.10b), and deter- mine their planges: 8 = 80", 0, = 107" diff. in elevation _ 60" p distance 198) tana = = 0.303 100 tana = pq = 0.490 3. Use equation 1.4 to find the true-dip direction, and then use equation 1.3 to find the amount of dip. Problem 2.3 Points AB, and C in Fig. Ge ae ol wells dled on 2 level plain, and all of the wells tap the same cil bearing sandstone, The depth (not the elevation!) of the top ofthis sandstone in each well sas follows: A = 5115 fe, B = 6135 ft, and C = 5485 f. 1 Determine the attitude of the sandstone, 2. If a well is dilled at point D, at what depth ‘would i hit the top ofthe sandstone? Determining outcrop patterns with structure contours Farlier we discussed structure-contour maps de- rived from deill-hole data, Structure-contour maps may also be constructed from surface data. Suppose, for example, that an important horizon is exposed in three places on a topographic map, mo ma omom 5 = =) osm) se) 98) ta) ay o=, 192) 0001 0 00s 0001 AR AMARA AAT THM a Tos MHA