A Front Advancing Adaptive Triangular Mesh Dynamic Generation Algorithm and Its Application in 3D Geological Modeling

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The authors proposed an interesting approach for 3D geological modelling. This is a meaningful work. I suggest the manuscript can be accepted after minor revision and detailed discussion of the following questions.

 

1. As known to all, there are a number of commercial geological modelling software packages, such as geomodeller, leap-frog and GoCAD. When applying DSI, these softwares are able to build models fitting with the surfaces of geological units, including faults and folds. So, what is the advantage of your R-TIN-GT methods?

 

2. 3D engineering geological modeling is much simpler than geological modeling for deposits, especially for magmatic-hydrothermal deposits. Is the R-TIN-GT method useful in building complex geological models such as dykes and intrusions?

 

3. 3D geological model can only be used to watch (e.g., visualization). This model has to be subdivided before other quantitative analysis such as prediction and numerical simulation. Have you developed algorithms to realize the function?

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Generally, the paper is good. Presented ideas are stated clearly and supported by the results. But the quality of the figures is deficient, it has to be improved!

Author Response

Please see the attachment

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Overall the manuscript is interesting to support the 3D geological modelling, but in my opinion the method is limited only used for layering model as described by authors, while in mineral exploration frequently we found complex geological phenomena with uncontinuity layer by contribution of geological structures, lenses model, intrusive model, fingering model, etc. What kind of traditional method for comparison did not discuss in detail.

The authors should highlight the main different between the current method and the method previously published by the same authors, i.e. TIN-GTP-TEN. Both methods discuss the similar geological model.

Author Response

Please see the attachment

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 4 Report

-Line 69; it will be more informative if the main discrete mesh generation algorithms are named and their limitations of them are addressed.

-Line 78; what does “high-quality cells” exactly mean? On what feature it focuses?

-Introduction; the authors should address the progress of the models on their application (3D geological modeling) as well.

Figure 2; please clarify the term “Effective cells” in the figure and text.

-Line 147-150; the paragraph should be revised.

-It would be better if the developed structure is named in the text in order to avoid using “this algorithm” in Table 3 and its heading.

-Some explanation about the geological boreholes in Nantong City should be provided. A map can represent the location of the study area and the distribution of the points. All the figures should have a scale bar.

-Section 5 is a kind of visualization of the proposed algorithm. It recommends implementing a traditional model and comparing the results in 3D geological applications.

-Figure 11 is not informative.

-Figures 10 to 13 have no description in the text. Some explanations about the main features should be provided.

-Besides the advantages of the proposed algorithm, the authors should address the limitations of their work.

 

 

Author Response

Please see the attachment."

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 3 Report

I agree to accept this manuscript for publication.