Towards a Quantification of Uncertainties in 3-D Geological Models

Uncertainties are common in 3-D geological models, due to different causes. We address here uncertainties introduced by input data quality and incomplete knowledge with a stochastic approach. Instead of only one model, we obtain a set of probable realizations. We then apply information entropy to analyze and visualize uncertainties in discretized representations of the models. In a simple example, we use this approach to compare uncertainties of different geological scenarios. The results can also be analyzed quantitatively, suggesting that the method has a potential beyond pure visualization and, actually, gives uncertainties a meaning. Jan Florian Wellmann, Franklin Horowitz, Klaus Regenauer-Lieb