An automatic pipeline of delineation and 3D profile mapping for potential exploration targets from mineral data of limited drilling cores

Abstract

The three-dimensional geological modeling and orebody visualization based on a small number of drilling cores are key issues for three-dimensional geological exploration. In this paper, we present an automatic pipeline of delineation and 3D profile mapping for potential exploration targets. As an integrated three-dimensional modeling process, the framework includes three key modules such as the terrain generation, delineation and three-dimensional profile mapping. The delineation is achieved by calculating the cutoff grade isosurface with a novel curved spline model. For the three-dimensional profile mapping, it is made by using the Kriging interpolation to generate the profile at an arbitrary angle within the delineation area. Finally, the proposed framework is validated by using the real mineral data of some drilling cores of Wulonggou area in Qinghai province of China, and the visualization results verify its effectiveness.