Isopach maps vs isochore maps

by Jorge

Thickness maps are a fundamental tool in structural geology. They represent thickness variations and
thickness trends of a given unit. Isochore and isopach maps are two different types of thickness map.
To make it clear from the beginning:

 An isopach is a line that connects points of equal true thickness (i.e. measured perpendicular
to bedding), whereas...
 an isochore is a line that connects points of equal vertical thickness.

Fig. 1.- A constant thickness layer is drilled at different angles by three wells
Figure 1 depicts a perfect cilindrical fold, where the western flank dips more than the eastern
flank. Well 1 cuts the yellow bed at a higher angle than well 3, and therefore, the vertical thickness
found in well 1 is larger than in well 3. Well 2cuts the bed where is horizontal, and therefore the
vertical thickness equals the real thickness. The real thickness of the yellow bed is constant: 500 m.

If we would do an isopach map of the yellow unit, it would show a constant value of 500 m, because
this unit doesn't show any thickness (true) variation... It would be a pretty boring map :-). But it would
be telling us quite a lot already; for starting, we could think we are dealing with a parallel fold formed
by flexural flow (for example).

Fig. 2-. Isochore map for the yellow unit in figure 1.

Figure 2 shows the isochore map -contours for equal vertical thickness- for the yellow bed depicted
in figure 1. Red colour indicates minimum vertical thickness, whilst purple shows maximum value.
You can see that it shows what you can see in the cross section: we would measure increasing vertical
thickness as we move away from the hinge of the fold, as the dip of the bed increases and therefore
we would cut the yellow bed at a higher angles.

We can see that the difference between an isopach map and an isochore map is quite obvious and
simple to understand. Unfortunately, some people interchange both terms, and too many times we can
see isochore maps refered to as "isopach maps"

If we would get the map from figure 2, and somebody would tell us that this is a isopach map over
and anticline, we could wrongly conclude that the real thickness around the hinge line of the fold is
smaller than in the flanks, and we would probably think that we have in front of us as growth
anticline, for example.

Another error may come from working with seismic surveys and not realising that if you take a
surface representing a top unit, and you substract another surface representing a bottom unit, the result
is a isochore map, not a isopach map.

Hence... how many structures have been wrongly studied, how many wells haven't reached a target
because somebody used wrong a simple word? Better not even to know it! And this is considering that
everytime we read a vertical thickness in a well log the well was actually vertical and not deviated at
all. If you take a surface representing a top unit, and you substract another surface representing a
bottom unit, the result is a isochore map, not a isopach map.

If you have any question, just ask in the comments. If you have any suggestion for a new article, just
let me know. You are also welcomed to write some contribution!