PostGIS Raster : Extending PostgreSQL for The Support of ... - CoDE

geological exploration and petroleum geology, computerized geo stratum simulation, synthetic
mineral prediction, and 3-D oil field characterization, all of which involve raster data, are widely
used.
Geologists use a number of field, laboratory, and numerical modeling methods to decipher Earth
history and understand the processes that occur on and in the Earth. In typical geological
investigations, geologists use primary information related to petrology (the study of rocks),
stratigraphy (the study of sedimentary layers), and structural geology (the study of positions
of rock units and their deformation). In many cases, geologists also study modern soils, rivers,
landscapes, and glaciers; investigate past and current life and biogeochemical pathways, and use
geophysical methods to investigate the subsurface.
In modern times, geology is commercially important for mineral and hydrocarbon exploration
and for evaluating water resources; is publicly important for the prediction and understanding
of natural hazards, the remediation of environmental problems, and for providing insights into
past climate change; plays a role in geotechnical engineering; and is a major academic discipline.
Figure D.3: William Smith’s geologic map of England,Wales, and southern Scotland. Completed in
1815, it was the first national-scale geologic map and by far the most accurate of its time [39].
• In geophysics, data about gravity, heat flow, seismic wave transportation or vibrations, the
magnetic field, and other subjects is saved, along with georeferencing information.
Geophysics is applied to societal needs, such as mineral resources, mitigation of natural hazards
and environmental protection.Geophysical survey data are used to analyze potential petroleum
reservoirs and mineral deposits, locate groundwater, find archaeological relics, determine the
thickness of glaciers and soils, and assess sites for environmental remediation.
• In geochemistry, the contents of multiple chemical elements can be analyzed and measured. The
triangulated irregular network (TIN) technique is often used to produce raster maps for further
analysis, and image processing is widely used.
Geochemistry is the science that uses the tools and principles of chemistry to explain the mechanisms
behind major geological systems such as the Earth’s crust and its oceans. The realm
of geochemistry extends beyond the Earth, encompassing the entire solar system and has made
important contributions to the understanding of a number of processes including mantle convection,
the formation of planets and the origins of granite and basalt. is the slow creeping
motion of Earth’s rocky mantle caused by convectioncurrents carrying heat from the interior of
the Earth to the surface.
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