Progress in 3D Geological Mapping in the Eastern Prairies of Canada and the USA

…from the 2009 Three-Dimensional Geologic Mapping Workshop held by the Illinois State Geological Survey…

Greg Keller, Gaywood Matile, and Harvey Thorleifson

“Increasing demand for groundwater and hydrocarbons have been the two main drivers for 3D mapping in Manitoba. In order to satisfy these demands, and to broaden our knowledge of the subsurface, the Manitoba Geological Survey has been working toward a provincial 3D model by developing regional and detailed models, as well as protocols and methodologies for model construction. Early in 2000, after years of data compilation, the first of Manitoba’s 3D models was built. This hydrostratigraphic model, built with funding from the National Geoscience Mapping Program (NATMAP), covered the 200 km by 230 km Winnipeg area of southeastern Manitoba. Subsequently, Paula Kennedy of the University of Manitoba completed a groundwater-flow model based upon this data, proving its feasibility for groundwater modeling (Kennedy and Woodbury, 2005). The model has since been extended northward to include the Lake Winnipeg basin and is currently being extended westward to complete all of the southern Manitoba Phanerozoic terrane south of 55° North Latitude. The southwest Manitoba model will include bedrock units derived from the recently completed Williston Basin architecture and hydrocarbon potential project 3D model which was funded by the federal (Canada) Targeted Geoscience Initiative (TGI). This cooperative model was created using high quality drill data from both Manitoba and Saskatchewan. A regional scale model was recently created using data from the Atlas of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) (Mossop and Shetsen, 1994). It was built using digitized structure contours, and covers Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. Future modeling will include further cooperation with both Minnesota and North Dakota in order to produce the Red River Valley 3D geological model. This model will connect the existing Manitoba models with the 3D geological model of groundwater-bearing strata in the Fargo-Moorhead region. Early in 2009, the first step was taken toward this end by creating a cross-border seamless Quaternary map covering the study area. Finally, a new project on the hydrocarbon potential of the Hudson Bay and Foxe basins has been initiated. This project is part of the new Geological Survey of Canada northern Geoscience of Energy and Minerals program (GEM). One of the planned products is a 3D model of the Hudson Bay Lowland (HBL) area of northern Manitoba.”

• Read the paper [PDF]
• View the presentation [PPT]
• Video [AVI]