37-23 Digital Outcrop Reconstruction and Facies Characterization of a Point-Bar Deposit Using Multispectral Drone Imagery, Coal Canyon, Colorado

Session: Geoscience Research Poster Showcase by 2YC and 4YCU Undergraduate Students

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Abstract:

Point-bar deposits preserve important information about how rivers transport and deposit sediment. They also serve as useful analogs for understanding subsurface reservoir architecture. This study uses multispectral drone imagery to create a three-dimensional digital outcrop model of a point-bar deposit exposed in Coal Canyon, Colorado. The goal is to reconstruct the original geometry of the outcrop and identify the main sedimentary facies preserved within the deposit.

A multispectral drone survey is conducted to collect high-resolution images of the outcrop. These images are processed using Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry to generate a georeferenced three-dimensional digital model that preserves the size, shape, and geometry of the exposed point-bar system. The digital outcrop is then used to map key stratigraphic surfaces, identify sedimentary facies, and document the spatial relationships between depositional elements. Measurements extracted directly from the model, including bed thickness, lateral continuity, channel geometry, and dimensions of major depositional features, provide a quantitative description of the outcrop.

Field observations are integrated with the digital outcrop model to improve facies interpretation and evaluate how different lithologies are distributed throughout the point-bar deposit. Preliminary results show that combining multispectral drone imagery with digital outcrop modeling provides an efficient way to document fluvial architecture while preserving field-scale relationships. The reconstructed outcrop will provide the foundation for future work that will apply machine learning to classify lithologic responses from multispectral data and develop a three-dimensional geological model of the point-bar system.

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