Dip Steering in OpendTect - Why good default settings matter Dip-steering has long been a foundational plugin in OpendTect, forming the structural backbone for many interpretati...
Dip Steering in OpendTect - Why good default settings matter
Dip-steering has long been a foundational plugin in OpendTect, forming the structural backbone for many interpretation and attribute workflows. At its core, a high-quality dip-steering cube enables a wide range of applications, including:
🔹 Dip-steered (structurally oriented) filtering – improving signal continuity while preserving geology 🔹 Dip-steered multi-trace attributes – enhancing structural consistency in attribute analysis 🔹 Inversion-based horizon tracking & data-driven HorizonCube creation – supporting robust and scalable interpretation workflows 🔹 Dip-field attributes – such as volume curvature, shaded relief, polar dip, and more
In theory, a lot of time can be spent tuning parameters to calculate the “perfect” dip-field. In practice, however, most projects rely on one well-designed steering cube that serves as the foundation for multiple downstream processes.
Why our latest defaults matter Our current default workflow uses the PCA algorithm because it is both efficient and robust. In 3D, PCA also supports output of a QC attribute called planarity, which plays an important role in: ✔️ Inversion-based horizon tracking ✔️ Creation of data-driven HorizonCubes
To improve stability, we apply a median smoothing filter to remove noise-driven spikes while preserving structural trends. Current default settings 3D Dip-Steering • Algorithm: PCA • Stepout: 1,1,1 • Median Filter: 2,2,5 • Planarity: Yes
2D Dip-Steering • Algorithm: PCA • Stepout: 2,2 • Median Filter: 5,5
These defaults strike a practical balance between computational speed, structural reliability, and downstream usability — allowing teams to focus less on parameter hunting and more on interpretation and analysis.
Want to learn more or request a demo license, send us an email: info@dgbes.com
🚨Don't forget to sign up for todays webinar🚨: From Data to Insight: Applied Machine Learning Advances in OpendTect on Feb 26, 2026 4:00 PM CET at: 👉https://lnkd.in/evs6u-TH
We hope to see you online today!
dGB Earth Sciences #OpendTect #SeismicInterpretation #DipSteering #Geophysics #SeismicAttributes #HorizonTracking #SubsurfaceData
