Sedimentary processes result in the deposition of 3-D geologic bodies that are buried and lithified, and then undergo diagenesis and structural deformation over time. These post-depositional changes cause overprints that modify, and often complicate, the pore-space distribution of the original deposit. Although geologists have had tremendous success describing 3-D and 4-D problems using 2-D renderings (maps, cross sections, tables, and graphs), the number of computer hardware and software tools has exploded over the past decade so that we can now address the 4-D nature of the problem. In same cases, original interpretations have held up nicely; in other cases, we are seeing things that we never imagined possible.

Nowhere does the application of 3-D and 4-D modeling tools have more impact than in the description and modeling of oil and water subsurface reservoirs. The modeling and visualization of complex subsurface geology, combined with the ability to model the movement of fluids and gases within and through the volume, have revolutionized our understanding of subsurface behavior. Models now help oil companies extract incremental reserves previously thought to be unrecoverable, and help hydrologists model the volume and quality of water in aquifers to forecast future resources allocations.

I will emphasize the importance of rocks to construct accurate stratigraphic and structural frameworks, and the impact of accurate frameworks on 3-D and 4-D models, using animated examples of 3-D hydrocarbon and aquifer models, mainly from Texas. We will even catch a ride on the back of a camcorder with a headlamp and head into the subsurface of West Texas to visit a classic Texas giant up dose and personal!

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