THE GEOSCIENCE ONTOLOGY FOR KNOWLEDGE-DRIVEN 3D GEO-MODELLING

The volume of geological knowledge for any geographic area is typically large in comparison to observed data, with such knowledge including general textbook content (background knowledge) as well as local interpretations. However, use of knowledge by 3D modelling methods is significantly lagging use of data, and this contributes to challenges in modelling large and complex geological terrains. In response, the GeoScience Ontology (GSO) is being developed within the LOOP research consortium (https://loop3d.org) as a first step to increase knowledge use.

GSO is a conceptualization and language for any aspect of geology. It consists of three layers with increasing detail: from non-geological aspects (e.g. object), to core geological aspects (e.g. rock unit or material), to user-definable extensions (e.g. a certain lithostratigraphy or rock material classification). GSO is also compatible with semantic databases, allowing knowledge to be stored, queried and retrieved during 3D geo-modelling to help constrain model results. Presented will be GSO, including its motivation, overall structure, and results from initial testing.