System and method for two dimensional gravity modeling with variable densities

1. A method for generating a density model of a subsurface formation, the method comprising:

receiving observed gravity data acquired over the subsurface formation;

defining polygonal bodies in a cross section, based on subsurface geophysical information;

generating an overlay of cells for cross section wherein each cell pertains to one and only one of the polygonal bodies;

assigning a density value to each cell, wherein one of the polygonal bodies with variable density includes plural cells, at least two of these plural cells having assigned different density values;

calculating a gravity effect for each cell using the assigned density value thereof;

recording the gravity effect for each cell in a data structure;

comparing a gravity response calculated based on the gravity effect of each cell with the observed gravity data; and

if a difference between the gravity response and the observed gravity data is larger than a predetermined threshold, altering the density value assigned to one or more cells in the cross section,

wherein changes in density values reveals geological changes in the subsurface formation.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a command to alter density values in a region of the cross section, the command including a density change for the region;

identifying one or more cells in the region based on the received command;

determining new density values for the identified one or more cells based upon the density change;

determining a new gravity effect for the identified one or more cells using the new density values; and

recording the new gravity effect for the identified one or more cells in the data structure.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

re-calculating the gravity response; and

comparing the gravity response as re-calculated with the observed gravity data.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the command is triggered by the difference between the gravity response and the observed gravity data being larger than the predetermined threshold, and the density values in the region or other density values in another region are altered until the difference becomes smaller than or equal to the predetermined threshold.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the command indicates changing shape of one of the polygonal bodies.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cross section is vertically beneath a profile including locations where the observed gravity data has been acquired.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the cross section comprises a two dimensional region substantially perpendicular to the surface of the earth beneath a selected profile; and

the selected profile is a straight line.

8. A method for generating a density model of a subsurface formation, the method comprising:

receiving gravity data acquired over the subsurface formation;

defining polygonal bodies in a cross section, based on subsurface geophysical information of the subsurface formation;

generating an overlay of cells for the cross section wherein each cell pertains to one and only one of the polygonal bodies;

assigning a density value to each cell, wherein one of the polygonal bodies with variable density includes plural cells, at least two of the plural cells having assigned different density values;

approximating a line mass for each cell based upon the density value and a size of the cell;

determining a gravity effect for each cell based on the line mass;

comparing a gravity response calculated based on the gravity effect of each cell with the gravity data; and

if a difference between the calculated gravity response and the observed gravity data is larger than a predetermined threshold, altering the density value of one or more cells,

wherein changes in density values reveals geological changes in the subsurface formation.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

receiving a command to alter the density value of a region of the cross section, the command including a density change for the region;

identifying one or more cells in the region based on the received command;

determining a new density value for the identified one or more cells based upon the density change;

approximating a new line mass for the identified one or more cells based upon the new density value and size of the identified one or more cells; and

determining a new gravity effect for the identified one or more cells based upon the new line mass.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

re-calculating the gravity response; and

comparing the gravity response as re-calculated with the gravity data.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the command is triggered by a difference between the calculated gravity response and the gravity data larger than a predetermined threshold, and the density values in the region or other density values in another region are altered until the difference becomes smaller than or equal to the predetermined threshold.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least one cell comprises a rectangular shape.

13. A modeling system for generating a density model of a subsurface formation, the modeling system comprising a computing system configured to:

receive observed gravity data acquired over the subsurface formation;

define polygonal bodies in a cross section, based on subsurface geophysical information;

generate an overlay of cells for the cross section wherein each cell pertains to one and only one of the polygonal bodies;

assign a density value to each cell, wherein one of the polygonal bodies with variable density includes plural cells, at least two of these plural cells having assigned different density values;

calculate a gravity effect of each cell based upon the assigned density value thereof;

record the gravity effect of each cell in a data structure;

compare a gravity response calculated based on the gravity effect of each cell with the observed gravity data; and

if a difference between the gravity response and the observed gravity data is larger than a predetermined threshold, alter the density value assigned to one or more cells,

wherein changes in density values reveals geological changes in the subsurface formation.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the computing system is further configured to:

receive a command to alter the density value of a region of the cross section, the command including a density change for the region;

identify one or more cells in the region based on the received command;

determine a new density value for the identified one or more cells based upon the density change;

determine a new gravity effect for the identified one or more cells based upon the new density value; and

record the new gravity effect of the identified one or more cells in the data structure.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the computing system is further configured to

receive a second command to alter the density value of a second region of the cross section, the second command including a second density change for the second region;

identify a cell in the second region based on the second received command;

determine a new density value for the identified cell based upon the second density change;

approximate a line mass of the identified cell based upon the new density value and the size of the identified cell; and

determine a new gravity effect for the identified cell based upon the line mass.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the command indicates changing shape of one of the polygonal bodies.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the computing system is further configured to re-calculate the gravity response and compare the gravity response as re-calculated with the observed gravity data.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the command is triggered by the difference between the calculated gravity response and the observed gravity data being larger than the predetermined threshold, and the density is altered in the region or other region until the difference becomes smaller than or equal to the predetermined threshold.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein the computing system is further configured to identify one or more geological features based on the density value of each cell.

20. The system of claim 13 , wherein the cross section is vertically beneath a profile including locations where the observed gravity data has been acquired.