9.2.2.2.1 Contact Interpretation Part

A contact interpretation part is built on relationships between two interpretation features or between two already existing contact interpretation parts.

To characterize the business side of these contact relationships, the writer must specify a relationship from the following list.

Kinds of contact relationships:

• frontier feature to frontier feature
• genetic boundary to frontier feature
• genetic boundary to genetic boundary
• genetic boundary to tectonic boundary
• stratigraphic unit to frontier feature
• stratigraphic unit to stratigraphic unit
• tectonic boundary to frontier feature
• tectonic boundary to genetic boundary
• tectonic boundary to tectonic feature

A contact interpretation part is defined by its binary contact interpretation part. This class allows you to build a formal sentence with the following pattern:

SUBJECTSubject QualifierVERBDIRECT-OBJECTDirect-Object Qualifier

This sentence describes the construction of a nodal, linear, or surface contact. It is possible to attach a primary and a secondary qualifier to the subject and to the direct object as a contact element reference attribute.

For example, one contact interpretation can be described by a sentence such as:

The interpreted fault named F1 interp on its hanging wall side SPLITS the interpreted horizon named H1 Interp on both its sides.

SUBJECT = F1 Interp, with qualifier "hanging wall side"

VERB = splits

DIRECT-OBJECT = H1 Interp, with qualifier "on both sides"

We must use the individual representation elements to describe how these contacts were built (what modeling business rules were used) for the construction of the binary contact interpretation. Practically, these individual representations are known by their contact element references. This is a way to define which boundary or geologic unit you want to use to define the contact interpretation (the SUBJECT and the DIRECT-OBJECT).

The contact element reference is used to reference the interpretation of a geological boundary or a geological unit. Its primary qualifier is used to define the contact side, which includes these options:

• foot wall
• hanging wall
• north
• south
• east
• west
• younger
• older
• both

Its second qualifier is used to define contact mode, which includes these options:

• baselap
• erosion
• extended
• proportional

The verbs correspond to a topological/geometrical action that must be realized to calculate the corresponding contact representation; verb options include: splits, interrupts, contains, conforms, erodes, stops at, crosses, includes.