Creating and Displaying Multi-Layered Cross Sections in Surfer 11

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1 Creating and Displaying Multi-Layered Cross Sections in Surfer 11 The ability to create a profile in Surfer has always been a powerful tool that many users take advantage of. The ability to combine profiles into a cross section adds an extra layer of functionality since it allows users to visualize subsurface layers as they lay in relation to one another. In past versions of Surfer, this lengthy process involved slicing a grid file, modifying the resulting DAT file and saving it to a BLN file format, creating the profile as a base map and then repeating this process for each layer, and overlaying the profile base maps to create a multi-layered cross section. This process is laid out in the newsletter 56 article Creating and Displaying Cross Sections in Surfer. Surfer 11 s automatic profile tool has simplified this process. Multi-layered cross section created in Surfer 11. If you have a contour map (or other grid-based map) for each of the lithology layers you want in your cross section, you can follow these instructions to generate your own cross section. If you don t have a file like that on hand, you can download ContoursForEachLithologyLayer.SRF to work with. The download link also contains the digitized.bln file used to create the exact images in this article. If you choose to use it instead of generating your own BLN file, you can skip steps In the Object Manager, select one of the Contour map layers. 2. Click Map Digitize and then click multiple times to create the line on which your cross section will be generated. 3. In the Digitize Coordinates window, click File Save as. In the Save As dialog, verify that the Save as type is set to Boundary Files (*.bln) and then click Save. Hit ESC on your keyboard to exit digitizing mode. 4. In the Object Manager, select one of the Maps containing a Contour map layer.

2 5. Click Map Add Post Layer. In the Open Data dialog change the Files of type to All Files (*.*) and then select your BLN file (digitized.bln) and click Open. Click No in the Surfer Warning dialog, since our points are within the current map limits so we don t need to expand the limits. 6. Repeat steps 1-5 for each of the other contour Maps. 7. In the Object Manager, select the Map containing the first Contour map layer. 8. Click Map Add Profile and then draw your profile line on your first Map, clicking at each of the Post map layer points (zoom in if you need to by using the mouse scroll wheel). Double click to end the profile line. 9. In the Object Manager, click on Profile In the Plot tab of the Property Manager, click the Save to File button next to Profile Data in the Export section. Give your DAT file a name and click Save. 11. You can now delete the Profile 1 object in the Object Manager by clicking on it and then hitting the Delete key on your keyboard. You can also delete or turn off the Post map layer for this Map. 12. Click File Open, select your DAT file, and click Open to open it in Surfer s worksheet. 13. If you will not want to fill your cross section layers with fill colors and patterns, skip to the next step. If you do want to fill your cross section layers with fill colors and patterns: a. Copy the last value in column A and paste it into the next row in column A (this file has 209 rows so copy cell A209 and paste into cell A210). b. In column B of that same row (B210), enter a value that s lower than the minimum z value in any of your data files.

3 c. Copy and paste the column B entry you just created into the next row (B210 into B211). d. In the A column of that same row type 0 (A211). e. Copy and paste the entire row 1 into the next empty row (212).

4 14. Click in cell A1, go to Edit Insert, toggle Entire Row, and click OK. This will be the header row. Type the number of points in the file in the new, empty cell A1 (image below illustrates this as a continuation of step 13, which is why there are 212 points instead of 209 points). When BLN files are used to blank a grid file, a blanking flag is needed in column B of this header row, but this BLN file will be plotted as a base map so column B of the header row will remain empty. 15. Click File Save As. In the Save As dialog change the Save as type to BLN Golden Software Blanking (*.bln), give your file a name and click Save. 16. Repeat steps 7-15 for the other contour Maps representing your other lithology layers. 17. Click Map New Base Map. Choose your first BLN file and click Open. 18. Click this new Map containing your Base map layer in the Object Manager. 19. Click Map Add Base Layer. In the Import dialog, choose your second BLN file and click Open. 20. Repeat steps for the other BLN files. 21. If the dimensions of the cross section are not appropriate for your needs, click on the Map containing all of these Base map layers, uncheck Proportional Scaling in the Scale tab of the Property Manager, and adjust the X Scale Length and Y Scale Length to make sense for a profiles. 22. If you chose to fill your layers (step 13), expand each Base map layer in the Object Manager by clicking the plus sign next to it, then click on the Polygon and set the fill properties in the Fill tab of the Property Manager.

5 The Maps containing the Contour map layers have been rotated and stacked to better visualize what the cross section is showing. Multi-layered cross section created in Surfer 11, utilizing fill patterns and colors for different layers. Now you have a multi-layered cross section that represents the subsurface layers with incredible clarity and precision.