List of free geology software

Last updated

This is a list of free and open-source software for geological data handling and interpretation. The list is split into broad categories, depending on the intended use of the software and its scope of functionality.

Contents

Notice that 'free and open-source' requires that the source code is available and users are given a free software license. Simple being 'free of charge' is not sufficient—see gratis versus libre.

Well logging & Borehole visualisation

NameDescriptionOriginatorLicensePlatformsLanguageNotes
SGS-Geobase [1] Drilling data logger that can interface with SGS Genesis SGS Canada Inc. GPL Windows & Microsoft Access Microsoft Access VBA Microsoft Access is not necessary, the free runtime is sufficient. Simple graphical interface, Integrity reinforcement, Reporting tools, Satellite Database, Database Validation, Assays QA/QC management with graphics.
QGeoloGISQGIS well log and timeseries visualisation plugin Oslandia, Orano and CEA GPLv2 or later Cross-platform Python Interfaces with QGIS
OpenGeoPlotterMineral exploration drill hole data visualization and cross section generator, strip logs, stereonet GPL Cross-platform Python Open source PyQt5 app catered to the exploration industry

Geosciences software platforms

NameDescriptionOriginatorLicensePlatformsLanguageNotes
GeoTriple for Oil&Gas Exploration

[2]

Geo-sciences Software platform (data management, display and process) Geoforge project LGPL Cross-platform Java Interfaces with WorldWind and JFreeChart

Geostatistics

NameDescriptionOriginatorLicensePlatformsLanguageNotes
Gstat [3] Geostatistical modeling and simulation Utrecht University GPL Cross-platform C/C++ Interfaces with GRASS
gslib [4] Geostatistical modeling and simulation Stanford University MIT Fortran 77
PyGSLIB [5] Python module for geostatistical modeling, designed for mineral resource estimation Opengeostat Consulting MIT/GPL Windows, Linux and OSX Fortran 95, Cython and Python It has functions for drillhole calculations, block modeling, wireframing and geostatistics with modified gslib code linked into python

Forward modeling

NameDescriptionOriginatorLicensePlatformsLanguageNotes
Virtual Geoscience Workbench [6] Finite-discrete element modelerJiansheng Xiang and others LGPL Windows C#, C++

Geomodeling

NameDescriptionOriginatorLicensePlatformsLanguageNotes
GeoSyntax [7] Reservoir modelingCSIRO Australia - June Hill CSIRO "MIT/BSD" (academic) Microsoft Windows Java
GeoBlock [8] Reservoir modelingPavel Vassiliev MPL Microsoft Windows Object Pascal Exact terms not clear
GeoTrace [9] Tracer modelingMuhammed Celik Microsoft Windows Visual Basic Exact terms not clear
Albion [10] 3D model reconstruction and visualisation from boreholes based on QGIS GIS PlatformOslandia [11] and Areva GPLv2 or later Cross-platform Python Interfaces with QGIS
GemPy [12] 3D structural geological modeling CGRE Institute, RWTH Aachen - Miguel de la Varga LGPL v3 Cross-platform Python Open-source implicit geological modeling that allows for automation of model construction and is aimed to enable the implementation of probabilistic machine-learning methods, e.g. for uncertainty analysis.

Visualization, interpretation & analysis packages

NameDescriptionOriginatorLicensePlatformsLanguageNotes
Dapple [13] Virtual globe for geoscientists Geosoft Inc. MIT Windows Originated in NASA World Wind
Estereografica Web [14] Stereographic projection and fault kinematicsReyuntecPublic domain Cross-platform ASP.netFree web application (english and spanish)
Generic Mapping Tools [15] Map generation and analysis Lamont–Doherty and University of Hawaii GPL Cross-platform C Implemented in OpendTect
GPlates [16] Interactive visualization of plate tectonics University of Sydney, Caltech, NGU GPL Cross-platform C++, Python Implements GPML
OpenStereo [17] [18] Geoscience plotting toolCarlos Grohmann, University of São Paulo GPL Cross-platform Python Depends on NumPy and Matplotlib
OpendTect [19] Geoscience interpretation and visualizationdGB Earth Sciences GPL or custom Cross-platform C++ Interfaces with GMT
Modelgeo [20] General 3D mathematics with modelling and visualization of geoscience dataModelGeo ASFree for non-profit useWindows C++, TCL Originally a petroleum geology program, reads all common geology and geophysics data formats
ParaViewGeo [21] Geoscience extension of ParaView Includes readers and filters Kitware ParaView, Objectivity Originally MIRARCO BSD Cross-platform C++, Python Adds specific readers, stereo toolbar, slideshow capability and mining and geology oriented filters to Paraview
PuffinPlot [22] Paleomagnetic data visualization and analysisPontus Lurcock GPL v3 Cross-platform Java Desktop GUI and Jython scripting interface.

Geographic information systems (GIS)

This important class of tools is already listed in the article List of GIS software.

Not true free and open-source projects

The following projects have unknown licensing, licenses or other conditions which place some restriction on use or redistribution, or which depend on non-open-source software like MATLAB or XVT (and therefore do not meet the Open Source Definition from the Open Source Initiative).

NameDescriptionOriginatorLicensePlatformsLanguageNotes
Noddy [23] 3D geological and geophysical modelingTectask, IUGS Custom permissive license Microsoft Windows C++ Uses proprietary XVT libraries; requires (free) registration
BasinVis, [24] [25] Basin visualization of sedimentary fill and subsidenceEun Young Lee, Johannes Novotny LICENSE Cross-platform Matlab
Geomodelr [26] Geological modelling from cross sectionsGeomodelr, Inc.SaaS - AGPL Cross-platform Python Allows creation of public geological models in its web platform for free and query the model with an Open Source Python Package
BGS Groundhog Desktop [27] Geological modelling from cross sections British Geological Survey OGL - Open Government Licence MS Windows Java Free to use software to digitize geological cross-sections, and display and edit borehole logs

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scilab</span> Open-source numerical computation software

Scilab is a free and open-source, cross-platform numerical computational package and a high-level, numerically oriented programming language. It can be used for signal processing, statistical analysis, image enhancement, fluid dynamics simulations, numerical optimization, and modeling, simulation of explicit and implicit dynamical systems and symbolic manipulations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Open-source software</span> Software licensed to ensure source code usage rights

Open-source software (OSS) is computer software that is released under a license in which the copyright holder grants users the rights to use, study, change, and distribute the software and its source code to anyone and for any purpose. Open-source software may be developed in a collaborative, public manner. Open-source software is a prominent example of open collaboration, meaning any capable user is able to participate online in development, making the number of possible contributors indefinite. The ability to examine the code facilitates public trust in the software.

Source-available software is software released through a source code distribution model that includes arrangements where the source can be viewed, and in some cases modified, but without necessarily meeting the criteria to be called open-source. The licenses associated with the offerings range from allowing code to be viewed for reference to allowing code to be modified and redistributed for both commercial and non-commercial purposes.

GeoTIFF is a public domain metadata standard which allows georeferencing information to be embedded within a TIFF file. The potential additional information includes map projection, coordinate systems, ellipsoids, datums, and everything else necessary to establish the exact spatial reference for the file. The GeoTIFF format is fully compliant with TIFF 6.0, so software incapable of reading and interpreting the specialized metadata will still be able to open a GeoTIFF format file.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geologic modelling</span> Applied science of creating computerized representations of portions of the Earths crust

Geologic modelling,geological modelling or geomodelling is the applied science of creating computerized representations of portions of the Earth's crust based on geophysical and geological observations made on and below the Earth surface. A geomodel is the numerical equivalent of a three-dimensional geological map complemented by a description of physical quantities in the domain of interest. Geomodelling is related to the concept of Shared Earth Model; which is a multidisciplinary, interoperable and updatable knowledge base about the subsurface.

GeoTools is a free software (LGPL) GIS toolkit for developing standards compliant solutions. It provides an implementation of Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) specifications as they are developed. GeoTools is a contributor to the GeoAPI project - a vendor-neutral set of Java interfaces derived from OGC specifications - and implements a subset of those.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PyMOL</span> Proprietary open-sourced python biology structure tool for visualisation

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">GeoGebra</span> Interactive geometry, algebra and calculus application

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">ArcGIS</span> Geographic information system maintained by Esri

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">MapWindow GIS</span> Open-source GIS desktop application

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orfeo toolbox</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">GPlates</span> Open-source application software for interactive plate-tectonic reconstructions

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Dietmar Müller is a professor of geophysics at the school of geosciences, the University of Sydney.

References

  1. ↑ "Geological Software, 3D Modelling, QAQC and Resource Estimation | Genesis". 26 September 2023.
  2. ↑ "GeoTriple - Oil&Gas Exploration - About".
  3. ↑ Gstat website
  4. ↑ "Geostatistical Software Library". gslib.com. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  5. ↑ "opengeostat/pygslib". GitHub. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  6. ↑ "Virtual Geoscience Workbench". 13 March 2016.
  7. ↑ "CSIRO Data Access Portal".
  8. ↑ "Geoblock". geoblock.sourceforge.net. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  9. ↑ GeoTrace website
  10. ↑ "Oslandia / Albion".
  11. ↑ "OSLANDIA" . Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  12. ↑ de la Varga, Miguel; Schaaf, Alexander; Wellmann, Florian (2019). "GemPy 1.0: open-source stochastic geological modeling and inversion". Geoscientific Model Development. 12 (1): 1–32. doi: 10.5194/gmd-12-1-2019 . hdl: 2164/11751 .
  13. ↑ Dapple website Archived 2006-08-13 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ↑ Estereografica Web
  15. ↑ Generic Mapping Tools hawaii.edu
  16. ↑ "GPlates". www.gplates.org. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  17. ↑ "Welcome".
  18. ↑ "OpenStereo – an open source, cross-platform structural geology analysis software — OpenStereo 0.9.0 documentation".
  19. ↑ "dGB Earth Sciences - Innovative Seismic Interpretations Solutions". dgbes.com. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  20. ↑ "HOME". modelgeo. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  21. ↑ "ParaviewGeo". Archived from the original on 29 March 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  22. ↑ Lurcock, P. C. and G. S. Wilson (2012), PuffinPlot: A versatile, user-friendly program for paleomagnetic analysis, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 13, Q06Z45, doi:10.1029/2012GC004098
  23. ↑ "Noddy". Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
  24. ↑ "BasinVis 2.0".
  25. ↑ Lee E.Y., Novotny J., Wagreich M. (2016) BasinVis 1.0: A MATLAB®-based program for sedimentary basin subsidenceanalysis and visualization. Computers & Geosciences 91, 119–127. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2016.03.013
  26. ↑ Geomodelr website
  27. ↑ "Groundhog v2.8" . Retrieved 30 January 2024.
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