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List of free geology software

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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 and users are given a free software license. 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
OpenGeoPlotter Mineral exploration drill hole data visualization and cross section generator, strip logs, stereonet [1] GPL Cross-platform Python Open source PyQt5 app catered to the exploration industry
Name Description Originator License Platforms Language Notes
GeoTriple for Oil&Gas Exploration

[2]

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
gstlearn[6] Geostatistics and Machine Learning Toolbox MINES Paris - PSL BSD/GPL Windows, Linux and OSX C++ (BSD), Python (BSD) and R (GPL)

Forward modeling

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Name Description Originator License Platforms Language Notes
Virtual Geoscience Workbench[7] Finite-discrete element modeler Jiansheng Xiang and others LGPL Windows C#, C++

Geomodeling

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Name Description Originator License Platforms Language Notes
GeoSyntax[8] Reservoir modeling CSIRO Australia - June Hill CSIRO "MIT/BSD" (academic) Microsoft Windows Java
GeoBlock[9] Reservoir modeling Pavel Vassiliev MPL Microsoft Windows Object Pascal Exact terms not clear
GeoTrace[10] Tracer modeling Muhammed Celik Microsoft Windows Visual Basic Exact terms not clear
Albion[11] 3D model reconstruction and visualisation from boreholes based on QGIS GIS Platform Oslandia[12] and Areva GPLv2 or later Cross-platform Python Interfaces with QGIS
GemPy[13] 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

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Name Description Originator License Platforms Language Notes
Dapple[14] Virtual globe for geoscientists Geosoft Inc. MIT Windows Originated in NASA World Wind
Estereografica Web[15] Stereographic projection and fault kinematics Reyuntec Public domain Cross-platform ASP.net Free web application (english and spanish)
Generic Mapping Tools[16] Map generation and analysis Lamont–Doherty and University of Hawaii GPL Cross-platform C Implemented in OpendTect
GPlates[17] Interactive visualization of plate tectonics University of Sydney, Caltech, NGU GPL Cross-platform C++, Python Implements GPML
OpenStereo[18][19] Geoscience plotting tool Carlos Grohmann, University of São Paulo GPL Cross-platform Python Depends on NumPy and Matplotlib
OpendTect[20] Geoscience interpretation and visualization dGB Earth Sciences GPL or custom Cross-platform C++ Interfaces with GMT
Modelgeo[21] General 3D mathematics with modelling and visualization of geoscience data ModelGeo AS Free for non-profit use Windows C++, TCL Originally a petroleum geology program, reads all common geology and geophysics data formats
ParaViewGeo[22] 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[23] Paleomagnetic data visualization and analysis Pontus Lurcock GPL v3 Cross-platform Java Desktop GUI and Jython scripting interface.
geoh5py library[24] Python library for the manipulation and storage of a wide range of geoscientific data (points, curve, surface, 2D and 3D grids) in geoh5 file format, natively supported by Geoscience ANALYST free 3D viewer Mira Geoscience Ltd. LPGL 3.0 Cross-platform Python Documentation and tutorials fully available in ReadTheDocs
geoapps repository[24] The geoapps repository are open-source geoscientific applications in Python, including geophysical data processing, modelling, and inversion codes Mira Geoscience Ltd. MIT Cross-platform Python Documentation and tutorials fully available in ReadTheDocs

Geographic information systems (GIS)

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This important class of tools is already listed in the article List of GIS software.

Not true free and open-source projects

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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
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
Geoscience ANALYST[30] Free 3D visualization and communication software for integrated, multi-disciplinary geoscience and mining data and models, which also connects to Python through geoh5py, its open-source API Mira Geoscience Ltd. Free / Proprietary Microsoft Windows C++ Free license key is automatically emailed upon request, and the software is permanently free

References

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  1. ^ "Geological Software, 3D Modelling, QAQC and Resource Estimation | Genesis". 26 September 2023.
  2. ^ "GeoTriple - Oil&Gas Exploration - About".
  3. ^ Gstat website
  4. ^ "Geostatistical Software Library". gslib.com. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  5. ^ "opengeostat/pygslib". GitHub. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  6. ^ "gstlearn". Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  7. ^ "Virtual Geoscience Workbench". 13 March 2016.
  8. ^ "CSIRO Data Access Portal".
  9. ^ "Geoblock". geoblock.sourceforge.net. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  10. ^ GeoTrace website
  11. ^ "Oslandia / Albion".
  12. ^ "OSLANDIA". Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  13. ^ de la Varga, Miguel; Schaaf, Alexander; Wellmann, Florian (2019). "GemPy 1.0: open-source stochastic geological modeling and inversion". Geoscientific Model Development. 12 (1): 1–32. Bibcode:2019GMD....12....1D. doi:10.5194/gmd-12-1-2019. hdl:2164/11751.
  14. ^ Dapple website Archived 2006-08-13 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ Estereografica Web
  16. ^ Generic Mapping Tools hawaii.edu
  17. ^ "GPlates". www.gplates.org. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  18. ^ "Welcome".
  19. ^ "OpenStereo – an open source, cross-platform structural geology analysis software — OpenStereo 0.9.0 documentation".
  20. ^ "dGB Earth Sciences - Innovative Seismic Interpretations Solutions". dgbes.com. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  21. ^ "HOME". modelgeo. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  22. ^ "ParaviewGeo". Archived from the original on 29 March 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  23. ^ 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
  24. ^ a b "Mira Geoscience Python Integration > geoh5py". Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  25. ^ "Noddy". Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
  26. ^ "BasinVis 2.0".
  27. ^ 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
  28. ^ Geomodelr website
  29. ^ "Groundhog v2.8". Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  30. ^ "Geophysical Software & Free 3D Viewer to Download". Retrieved 5 June 2024.