Patent ID: 8219322

Claim:
A method of processing stratigraphic data comprising a plurality of stratigraphic features within a geological volume, the method including the steps of: providing the stratigraphic data to a processor; using the processor to extend a plurality of spaced sampling traces through the volume to traverse the stratigraphic features; using the processor to provide each stratigraphic feature with a unique identifier; for each sampling trace, using the processor to determine a sequence order of the unique identifiers of successively traversed stratigraphic features, the sequence orders either all starting at the unique identifiers of geologically younger stratigraphic features and ending at the unique identifiers of geologically older stratigraphic features, or all starting at the unique identifiers of geologically older stratigraphic features and ending at the unique identifiers of geologically younger stratigraphic features; using the processor to assign-the stratigraphic features respective relative geological ages by sorting the unique identifiers into a linear order so that each descendant unique identifier appears later in the linear order than its parent unique identifier, a descendant unique identifier and its parent unique identifier being adjacent unique identifiers in a sequence order with the parent appearing before the descendant, such that, on each sampling trace, the relative geological age of each stratigraphic feature traversed by the sampling trace in the direction from geologically younger to geologically older stratigraphic features is increased in relation to the relative geological age of its preceding stratigraphic feature, under the condition that each stratigraphic feature takes the same relative geological age across all the sampling traces by which it is traversed; and outputting from the processor the stratigraphic features and their respective relative geological ages.