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The project team developed a groundbreaking methodology to build a 3D model of the salt-mine cavities. They used historical sonar survey data, georeferencing the images within Leapfrog. By digitising cross-sections from multiple angles, they constructed 127 detailed 3D solids representing each salt mine.
Leapfrog was also instrumental in modelling the area’s broader geology. Its implicit modelling algorithm enabled the team to accurately map the stratified layers of the Alagoas Basin and identify pre-existing rupture structures that intersected with the salt mines. This integrated 3D model, combining the mine cavities and the regional geology, became the cornerstone of the investigation.
Although developed in response to an unfolding crisis, the model also demonstrates the broader role that 3D geological modelling can play in responsible mining: helping organisations understand subsurface risk, support transparent decision-making, and inform safer closure and remediation strategies.
The outcome: data-driven decisions that saved lives
The 3D model provided unprecedented insight into the disaster unfolding beneath Maceió. Key findings included: