A computer-implemented method of determining information related to the formation of strata within a subsurface volume, the method comprising: obtaining seismic information related to a subsurface volume that represents geological formations within the subsurface volume, wherein the parameters of the obtained seismic information include (i) a two-dimensional position in a surface plane, and (ii) a seismic time; analyzing obtained seismic information to automatically identify a set of horizons present within the subsurface volume that are represented by the obtained seismic information; determining a horizon volume from the seismic information, wherein the horizon volume maps the obtained seismic information into a flattened volume such that in the flattened volume, each of the identified horizons are shifted to be substantially coplanar with a surface defined by the horizon volume as an estimate of a single chronostratigraphic time, wherein the coordinates of the flattened volume are (i) a two dimensional position in the surface plane, and (ii) a metric related to chronostratigraphic time; determining (36, 38), within the horizon volume, the derivative of seismic time with respect to chronostratigraphic time for a given chronostratigraphic time, thereby providing a strata formation metric related to a rate at which strata present at a surface in the flattened volume that corresponds to the given chronostratigraphic time was being formed at the given chronostratigraphic time, wherein the derivative of seismic time with respect to chronostratigraphic time for the horizon volume is determined for a plurality of chronostratigraphic times; determining an isochron volume from the determined derivatives; determining an isochore volume based on the determined isochron volume; and determining an isopach volume from the flattened volume and the determined isochore volume. obtaining seismic information related to a subsurface volume that represents geological formations within the subsurface volume, wherein the parameters of the obtained seismic information include (i) a two-dimensional position in a surface plane, and (ii) a seismic time; analyzing obtained seismic information to automatically identify a set of horizons present within the subsurface volume that are represented by the obtained seismic information; determining a horizon volume from the seismic information, wherein the horizon volume maps the obtained seismic information into a flattened volume such that in the flattened volume, each of the identified horizons are shifted to be substantially coplanar with a surface defined by the horizon volume as an estimate of a single chronostratigraphic time, wherein the coordinates of the flattened volume are (i) a two dimensional position in the surface plane, and (ii) a metric related to chronostratigraphic time; determining (36, 38), within the horizon volume, the derivative of seismic time with respect to chronostratigraphic time for a given chronostratigraphic time, thereby providing a strata formation metric related to a rate at which strata present at a surface in the flattened volume that corresponds to the given chronostratigraphic time was being formed at the given chronostratigraphic time, wherein the derivative of seismic time with respect to chronostratigraphic time for the horizon volume is determined for a plurality of chronostratigraphic times; determining an isochron volume from the determined derivatives; determining an isochore volume based on the determined isochron volume; and determining an isopach volume from the flattened volume and the determined isochore volume.