Geology is a branch of sciences that studies the Earth’s structure, composition and evolution over time. Geological knowledge is fundamental to ensure optimal access to resources, preserve biodiversity and protect populations from certain natural disasters, among many other applications. To create such knowledge, geologists are usually required to conduct field trips in order to observe the geology of a place and take soil or rock samples, to later reconstruct the terrain in 3D models.
Several challenges make the creation and sharing of geological data difficult. One is about encoding and structuring data from field studies to facilitate access and long-term reusability. This is key to the whole scientific process, from searching previously-published data when preparing another field trip to the integration of new data into shared repositories. This can be a difficult task as geologists use and create heterogeneous data sources, which raises another important challenge: facilitate the integration of notes taken in the field with geological models sketched on-the-fly and prior relevant data in order to create new or correct and refine existing models. Beyond data management and terrain modeling, a transversal question to be addressed lies in designing user interfaces that enable geologists to effectively perform those operations both while in the field and back in the office, providing them with the right information at the right time (situated access) and letting them create and manipulate terrain models, data and documents seamlessly.
Project GeolAug aims to provide the scientific basis and the technological tools to support the creation, access and interactive manipulation of data throughout the geologist’s scientific process. The project brings together researchers from multiple domains at Inria – Data and Knowledge Representation and Processing; Geometry and Modeling; Interaction and Visualization – and multiple departments at BRGM – Geo-ressources; Risk and Prevention; Water and Environment; Digital. It is structured along three working packages: Exploitation and Structuring of Data and Knowledge; Terrain Modeling; and Interactive Data Access and Manipulation.
The project is divided into three main Work Packages.
WP1: Exploitation and structuring of Data and Knowledge
This research axis addresses the question of enhancing the accessibility and reusability of BRGM’s wealth of information by endowing it with metadata or restructuring it for more effective utilization.
Research team: Ioana Manolescu (CEDAR), Pierre Senellart (Valda), Cecile Gracianne (BRGM), Nicolas Gilardi (BRGM) with the support of several BRGM experts (Yoann Legendre, Agathe Roulle, Yannick Thiery et Bastien Colas)
WP2: Terrain Modeling
The goal of this research axis is to unify the two stages of geological mapping – field notes and geological modeling – through a digital field notebook. It requires both to reconstruct the subsurface geometry from input sketches (WP2.A), and to provide interactive tools that leverage this reconstruction (WP2.B).
Research team WP2.A: Guillaume Cordonnier (Inria, GraphDeco), Adrien Bousseau (Inria, GraphDeco) and Simon Lopez (BRGM).
Research team WP2.B: Florent Lafarge (Inria, Titane) and Simon Lopez (BRGM).
WP3: Streamlining Interactive Data Access and Manipulation in the Field and in the Office
The challenge addressed in this research axis is to support geologists throughout their workflow, from the data preparation phase to the model finalization phase, but with a focus on fieldwork support.
Research team: Vanessa Peña-Araya (Inria, ILDA), Emmanuel Pietriga (Inria, ILDA), Alexis Plunder (BRGM).