Alpha-beta-gamma-WHAT?
A really common question we get at Seequent is about structural measurements made in drillcores. So much so, that we made a dedicated guide to using downhole structural measurements in Leapfrog.
There's a couple of things to know up-top:
1 - If your drillcore isn't orientated, you cannot use the downhole structural measurement tools in Leapfrog. This may change in the future, but for now only orientated drillcores and their data are accepted.
2 - Leapfrog uses the α - β - γ notation, where:
- α is the minimum angle between the core axis and the geological plane, along the ellipse axis (E-E');
- β is the angle of rotation about the core axis between the 'bottom of core line' drawn on the drillcore and E;
- γ is the minimum angle of rotation about the core axis between E-E' and a lineation.
α - β - γ are shown below.
There are alternative methods used in the mining industry and there is no global standard. The α - β - γ method is probably the most commonly used and is certainly the most commonly cited in academic and technical literature.
For more details, including references to the α - β - γ method, look at the attached PDF and the Leapfrog Structural Modelling 1 of 6 | Structural Data course at Seequent Learning.