A New Method for Three-Dimensional Earth Model Visualization

This paper presents a new method for three-dimensional earth model visualization. This method models the velocity structure of seismic waves with the combination of cuboids and quad-prisms. And it is simpler than the traditional scientific visualization method in computational complexity. Using this method, we have constructed a visualization model for the CRUST5.1, a global 3D velocity model of the crust and uppermost mantle of the Earth. Furthermore, we have developed a software package to realize the visualization of CRUST5.1 in Delphi with OpenGL, in which the viewing from different directions and the cutting along any path are permitted. This method can also be applied for general three-dimensional grided data.