3D modeling using geognostic data: The case of the low valley of Foglia river (Italy)

In specific geological contexts, such as alluvial environments, the lithology is highly heterogeneous and laterally variable. As a result, a large number of lithological data are collected (generally random and under sampled) for stratigraphic reconstruction. tegrated management of geo-lithologic data causes major methodological problems, because data obtained from geognostic investigations have to be normalized and correlated. Data are often affected by their degree of precision, a detail depending on the investigation technique and on the geologistʹs interpretation. aper presents a methodological approach to organizing, integrating, and interpolating subsoil, mechanical (boreholes, penetration tests), and geophysical (seismic profiles, resistivity sounding) investigations for the construction of a three-dimensional geological model supported by geographical information systems and geostatistics. tical application concerning the lower Foglia river alluvial deposits (Northern Marche, Italy) was carried out to investigate the geometry of these sedimentary bodies. ntegrated approach offers many advantages for the understanding and in-depth visualization of the geometry of the deposits. Moreover, it allows for the acquisition of qualitative and quantitative information about hydrogeological settings, which is useful for water resources exploitation and protection. hieved goals are the design of a data management workflow for geo-lithological data, the construction of a three-dimensional geological model of the lower Foglia river alluvial plain, a comparison between the geological sections obtained from the model and those made in a traditional manual fashion, and, in addition, new stratigraphic and hydrogeological considerations about the study area.