From photo-geology to 3D geological models. An open source approach

Three-dimensional modeling of geological bodies is a useful tool for multiple applications. Such tasks are usually accomplished starting from fieldcollected data, which typically suffer from intrinsic limitations such as accessibility constraints and punctuality of data collected. In this work, we explore the reliability of photo-geological mapping from interpretation of aerial photographs in providing data useful to build up 3D geological models. The test was conducted in a 15 km2 in Umbria, central Italy. The three-steps open source GIS procedure that outputs 3D models from photo-geological data was developed using python in GRASS GIS environment and GNU-Linux OS. We maintain that this procedure can have potential broad applications in Earth Sciences, including geological and structural analyses, up to the preliminary evaluation of potential reservoirs.