List of free geology software
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This is a list of free and open-source software for geological data handling and interpretation. The list is split into broad categories, depending on the intended use of the software and its scope of functionality.
Notice that 'free and open-source' requires that the source code is available. Simple being 'free of charge' is not sufficient—see gratis versus libre.
Name | Description | Originator | License | Platforms | Language | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SGS-Geobase [1] | Drilling data logger that can interface with SGS Genesis | SGS Canada Inc. | GPL | Windows & Microsoft Access | Microsoft Access VBA | Microsoft Access is not necessary, the free runtime is sufficient. Simple graphical interface, Integrity reinforcement, Reporting tools, Satellite Database, Database Validation, Assays QA/QC management with graphics. |
QGeoloGIS | QGIS well log and timeseries visualisation plugin | Oslandia, Orano and CEA | GPLv2 or later | Cross-platform | Python | Interfaces with QGIS |
Geosciences software platforms
Name | Description | Originator | License | Platforms | Language | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GeoTriple for Oil&Gas Exploration | Geo-sciences Software platform (data management, display and process) | Geoforge project | LGPL | Cross-platform | Java | Interfaces with WorldWind and JFreeChart |
Name | Description | Originator | License | Platforms | Language | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gstat[3] | Geostatistical modeling and simulation | Utrecht University | GPL | Cross-platform | C/C++ | Interfaces with GRASS |
gslib[4] | Geostatistical modeling and simulation | Stanford University | MIT | Fortran 77 | ||
PyGSLIB[5] | Python module for geostatistical modeling, designed for mineral resource estimation | Opengeostat Consulting | MIT/GPL | Windows, Linux and OSX | Fortran 95, Cython and Python | It has functions for drillhole calculations, block modeling, wireframing and geostatistics with modified gslib code linked into python |
Forward modeling
Name | Description | Originator | License | Platforms | Language | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Virtual Geoscience Workbench[6] | Finite-discrete element modeler | Jiansheng Xiang and others | LGPL | Windows | C#, C++ |
Geomodeling
Name | Description | Originator | License | Platforms | Language | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GeoSyntax[7] | Reservoir modeling | CSIRO Australia - June Hill | CSIRO "MIT/BSD" (academic) | Microsoft Windows | Java | |
GeoBlock[8] | Reservoir modeling | Pavel Vassiliev | MPL | Microsoft Windows | Object Pascal | Exact terms not clear |
GeoTrace[9] | Tracer modeling | Muhammed Celik | Microsoft Windows | Visual Basic | Exact terms not clear | |
Albion[10] | 3D model reconstruction and visualisation from boreholes based on QGIS GIS Platform | Oslandia[11] and Areva | GPLv2 or later | Cross-platform | Python | Interfaces with QGIS |
GemPy[12] | 3D structural geological modeling | CGRE Institute, RWTH Aachen - Miguel de la Varga | LGPL v3 | Cross-platform | Python | Open-source implicit geological modeling that allows for automation of model construction and is aimed to enable the implementation of probabilistic machine-learning methods, e.g. for uncertainty analysis. |
Visualization, interpretation & analysis packages
Name | Description | Originator | License | Platforms | Language | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dapple[13] | Virtual globe for geoscientists | Geosoft Inc. | MIT | Windows | Originated in NASA World Wind | |
Generic Mapping Tools[14] | Map generation and analysis | Lamont-Doherty and University of Hawaii | GPL | Cross-platform | C | Implemented in OpendTect |
GPlates[15] | Interactive visualization of plate tectonics | University of Sydney, Caltech, NGU | GPL | Cross-platform | C++, Python | Implements GPML |
OpenStereo[16][17] | Geoscience plotting tool | Carlos Grohmann, University of São Paulo | GPL | Cross-platform | Python | Depends on NumPy and Matplotlib |
SvgNet[18] | Stereographic and Spherical Projections | Arijit Laik[19] | public domain | WebApp | JavaScript | Depends on JavaScript, HTML5 and SVG support in browser |
OpendTect[20] | Geoscience interpretation and visualization | dGB Earth Sciences | GPL or custom | Cross-platform | C++ | Interfaces with GMT |
ParaViewGeo[21] | Geoscience extension of ParaView Includes readers and filters | Kitware ParaView, Objectivity Originally MIRARCO | BSD | Cross-platform | C++, Python | Adds specific readers, stereo toolbar, slideshow capability and mining and geology oriented filters to Paraview |
PuffinPlot[22] | Paleomagnetic data visualization and analysis | Pontus Lurcock | GPL v3 | Cross-platform | Java | Desktop GUI and Jython scripting interface. |
Geographic information systems (GIS)
This important class of tools is already listed in the article List of GIS software.
Not true free and open-source projects
The following projects have unknown licensing, licenses or other conditions which place some restriction on use or redistribution, or which depend on non-open-source software like MATLAB or XVT (and therefore do not meet the Open Source Definition from the Open Source Initiative).
Name | Description | Originator | License | Platforms | Language | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VGeST[23] | Discontinuum modeling | ICL and QMUL | Not obvious | Microsoft Windows | C#? | Previously known as VGW |
Javageo[24] | Multidisciplinary interpretation tool | Goen Ghin | Not clear | Cross-platform | Java (software platform) | |
Noddy[25] | 3D geological and geophysical modeling | Tectask, IUGS | Custom permissive license | Microsoft Windows | C++ | Uses proprietary XVT libraries; requires (free) registration |
BasinVis[26],[27] | Basin visualization of sedimentary fill and subsidence | Eun Young Lee, Johannes Novotny | LICENSE | Cross-platform | Matlab | |
Geomodelr[28] | Geological modelling from cross sections | Geomodelr, Inc. | SaaS - AGPL | Cross-platform | Python | Allows creation of public geological models in its web platform for free and query the model with an Open Source Python Package |
BGS Groundhog Desktop[29] | Geological modelling from cross sections | British Geological Survey | OGL - Open Government Licence | MS Windows | Java | Free to use software to digitize geological cross-sections, and display and edit borehole logs |
References
- ^ http://www.geostat.com/genesis/en/download.php
- ^ http://www.geoforge.org/prt/product/gtr4oxp/gtr4oxp_about.html
- ^ http://gstat.org
- ^ http://gslib.com
- ^ "opengeostat/pygslib". GitHub. Retrieved 2016-09-09.
- ^ http://sourceforge.net/projects/vgw/
- ^ https://data.csiro.au/dap/landingpage?pid=csiro:10810
- ^ http://geoblock.sourceforge.net/
- ^ http://www.geoseis.tr.gg/
- ^ https://gitlab.com/Oslandia/albion
- ^ http://oslandia.com
- ^ cgre-aachen/gempy, Computational Geoscience and Reservoir Engineering @RWTH Aachen, 2020-06-12, retrieved 2020-06-13
- ^ http://dapple.geosoft.com Archived 2006-08-13 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ http://gmt.soest.hawaii.edu
- ^ http://www.gplates.org
- ^ http://igc.usp.br/openstereo/
- ^ https://openstereo.readthedocs.io/en/latest/
- ^ https://svgnet.github.io
- ^ https://github.com/arijitlaik
- ^ http://opendtect.org
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-03-29. Retrieved 2020-03-09.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Lurcock, P. C. and G. S. Wilson (2012), PuffinPlot: A versatile, user-friendly program for paleomagnetic analysis, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 13, Q06Z45, doi:10.1029/2012GC004098
- ^ http://vgest.net
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-02-02. Retrieved 2020-03-09.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-01-20. Retrieved 2011-02-16.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ https://geologist-lee.com/basinvis-2_0
- ^ Lee E.Y., Novotny J., Wagreich M. (2016) BasinVis 1.0: A MATLAB®-based program for sedimentary basin subsidenceanalysis and visualization. Computers & Geosciences 91, 119–127. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2016.03.013
- ^ https://geomodelr.com
- ^ https://www.bgs.ac.uk/research/environmentalModelling/groundhogDesktop.html