Glossary

Hurley plots

Hurley plots (Hurley 1994) are simple but powerful graphical devices in which a cross-plot of cumulative dip magnitude versus a sample number or depth are produced. If the data has been acquired in regular intervals cumulative dips can be plotted against depth; whereas irregularly sampled dip data is plotted against sample number. Cumulative dip is plotted on the X-axis with sample number or depth on the Y-axis. These plots allow subtle, and not so subtle, changes in orientation data to be recognized and are readily produced within spreadsheets. We have found that Hurley plots are useful in situations where azimuths remain near constant through a succession but dip display a change, e.g. sections developing around salt masses and adjacent to growth faults.

See HURLEY, N. F. 1994. Recognition of faults, unconformities, and sequence boundaries using cumulative dip plots. Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, 78, 1173-1185.

Search Glossary

About the glossary
This listing is not exhaustive or definitive, do not expect Oxford English Dictionary standards; it is aimed at those who need to understand basic principles and those that read reports on dipmeters and borehole images requiring some technical help to get the most from such documents.

We have attempted to make the descriptions and explanations generic, giving the glossary a wide application and appeal, with minimal, if any, commercial bias. If you spot any mistakes, omissions or any problems with the explanations, please do not hesitate to contact us, and we will try to accommodate your comments.

Acknowledgements
This listing has been derived by Task Geoscientists. All external sources are fully acknowledged.