2018 International Conference on Computer Science and Software Engineering (CSSE 2018) ISBN: 978-1-60595-555-1

A Highly Automatic Petrogeochemistry

Diagram Plotting and Analysis System

Based on MVVM

Mingguang Diao, Danning Zhao, Tao Xue, Wenji Li

and Nawei Zheng

1

ABSTRACT

A new software, GeoDrop based on the Petrogeochemistry experts’s practical

working methods, is developed to implement Petrogeochemistry diagrams’ plotting

and analysis automaticly. System takes the Petrogeochemistry parameters and

diagrams as the process objects. The method is to intersect Petrogeochemistry and

computer software technology. By analyzing the characteristics of two-variable and

three-variable diagrams, it divides data calculation into three types, including major

and trace elements’ related parameters calculation, major and trace elements’

standard mineral calculation, and isotope calculation. For plotting, system can be

used for volcanic rocks, intrusive rocks, sedimentary rocks and so on. For extension,

system also supports customized diagram types. All these above functions in

GeoDrop can help users implement data processing, analysis and automatic plotting

quickly.

INTRODUCTION

For the Petrogeochemical researchers, diagram is the most common and

effective tool when they do some investigation on geochemical data. Now, as the

research achievements continue to emerge in the Petrogeochemical field and the

Mingguang Diao1, Danning Zhao

1, Tao Xue

1, Wenji Li

2, Nawei Zheng

1

1School of Information Engineering, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China

2China Aero Geophysical Survey and Remote Sensing Center for Land and Resources,

Beijing 100083, China

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diagrams continue to update. All these above situations make it hard to satisfy the

current needs just depend on hand-plotting. So it asks for a higher demand to keep

the accuracy in the process of Petrogeochemical study, which means a big challenge

for us. Based on these, lots of geochemical data processing software have emerged

during this period, for example, NewPet [1], MinPet [2], Isoplot [3], GCDKit [4],

and PetroGraph [5], all these softwares extract, separate and combine information

from the original Petrogeochemical data. Then they quantify, analyze, plot and

explain, which means they make the hand-plotting into computerization and help

users to analyze the data into diagrams quickly. But, all these software also have

their own problems. For instance, Newpet and MinPet run under DOS, respectively,

these operating systems are now out of date. When loaded them into modern MS

Windows systems, they can’t work well [5-6]. Isoplot only supports the isotope

diagrams [3]. GCDkit is expandable only by means of plug-ins, and users must

program any changes using the R language, which is difficult to use [6]. Although

PetroGraph is significantly improved and easily edited, it’s still unable to add new

diagram types [7]. For Chinese researchers, the most often used tools are Geokit [8],

GCDPlot [6] or GeoPlot [7]. But all these software cannot make form directly, all

need to rely on Microsoft Excel [5], so they will be unavailable when the version of

Office does update.

GeoDrop is developed based on synthesizing all above softwares’ advantages

and improving their weaknesses. The advantages of GeoDrop includes: making

diagrams’ plotting high automatically, and supporting users to customize diagram as

needed. On the basis of the diagram data processing and analysis flow, this article

will focus on the main functions, which include sample-data management,

parameter calculation, diagrams automatic plotting and outputs, and the diagrams

extension.

DIAGRAM DATA PROCESSING AND ANALYSIS FLOW

The essence of Petrogeochemistry data processing is a process of information

obtaining, retrieval, analysis, calculation, storage and expression [9]. The

standardized process of Petrogeochemistry diagrams’ data processing and

information extraction can play a significant role in improving the accurate of

diagram analysis [10]. Therefore, by studying the geochemists’ working flow, when

designing GeoDrop, we divide the process into three parts, which are data

acquisition, data management, and data show.

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Figure 1. The petrogeochemistry data processing flow.

As shown in Figure 1, the first part is data acquisition, which means collecting

rock samples and analyzing them, that is, detecting, identifying, separating and

collecting elements of samples, and then obtaining source data. The second part is

data analysis, which refers to processing, analyzing, plotting and interpreting data

received from the first part. The last part is a data show that displays the results in

the form of a calculation report or chart.

GEODROP OVERVIEW

The category of system functions depend on the actual needs and the

classification of petrogeochemistry data. The system consists of data management,

parameter calculation, diagrams automatic plotting and outputs, and diagrams

extension, as Figure 2 shows. It collects 230 diagrams, which are divided into 7

broad groups and 28 smaller groups [11], and 4 tool diagrams. The system is

constructed by the software development method basing on the component. Its

interface consists of operation navigation area, thumbnail indexing area, menu bar,

status bar, and label. To provide an easy way for finding diagrams, the system

adopts two kinds of fast indexing: tree view indexing and thumbnail indexing.

In the aspect of diagram plotting, the system adopts the guide method for sample

importing, targeted diagram selection, sample selection, sample classification

formatting, automatic parameter selection and calculation, graphic to guide the user

to map the diagram. The main interface of this system is illustrated in Figure 3.

As follows, operation navigation area is the wizard of Petrogeochemistry data

processing, following its steps, users can index the diagram what you want quickly

by tree view indexing and thumbnail indexing. The first method depends on the rock

type and corresponding conditions. Another one is based on the thumbnail of binary

and triangular diagram built-in the system.

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Figure 2. System function tree. Figure 3. System main interface.

Sample-Data Management

This module consists of major and trace elements management, mineral

management, isotopic elements management, and includes the functions like adding

data, deleting data, modifying data, querying data and calculating field formula. The

system supports the data input and output from Excel. On the basis of the data

preprocessing of major and trace elements analysis result table, isotopic elements

analysis result table, fluid inclusion analysis result table, the system adopts table,

group and sample to process data. In addition to the basic information of samples,

each sample record can incorporate a major and trace elements record or an actual

mineral record or an isotopic element record. Since elements such as Sr, Ni, Zr, Cr,

Ba are able to be recorded in a form of oxide in the course of recording major and

trace elements [12], the system provides an interface for recording the related

oxides.

Obtained from Figure 4, system will generate three-level data structures: table,

group and sample Users can view basic information about the sample you choose

and modify. In the Sample data management area, you can click the buttons to

import and export, add, modify, and delete.

Users are able to add, modify, delete information of the chose sample and

implement data’s Oxygen transformation in the major and trace elements

management interface. All functions of mineral data management interface and the

Isotopic data management interface are the same as the the major and trace elements

management interface.

Parameter Calculation

As Figure 5 shows, parameter calculation is the core module of the system,

including common Petrogeochemistry calculation methods. They are CIPW

mineralogical calculation, common Petrogeochemistry parameter calculation

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(alkalic rate, felsic index, mafic index, magnesium iron ratio, oxidizability, and

oxidation ratio), Rittman index, P. Niggli numerical method, Zavaritskii

petrochemistry calculation, Wang Hengsheng and Wu Liren Ultrabasic rocks'

petrochemistry calculation.

Figure 4. Sample-Data management. . Figure 5. Parameters calculation.

Users can select a sample data to do the parameters calculation in the sample

data list. After selecting the sample, check the parameters calculation method you

want, and then, click the button “Report” to achieve results reports in Excel format.

If you want to check the CIPW method, you need to set the parameters as needed on

pop up window.

Diagrams Automatic Plotting and Outputs

GeoDrop implements the highly automatic plotting for drawing diagrams, which

means users just need to follow the wizard, including select diagram, plot sample-

data, and plot element, at last save and output it in common picture format, so that it

can be pasted in document and achieve the union of text and figure. All the built-in

230 diagrams in the system are divided into two classifications, orthographic and

triangular. Basing on the 230 diagrams, the system has designed 5 kinds of plotting

method [13]. The plotting using bi-coordinate-axis system is illustrated in Figure6.

The first step is to select the diagram for automatic plotting, as Figure 3, and

then double-click the thumbnail to open the plotting interface. The second step is to

select the sample data that needs to plot, set the plotting format, and click the button

“Plot”. The last step is to set the axis format of base map, including axis, curve and

area format, diagram name and background color, gridlines format.

GeoDrop’s built-in diagram types may not be comprehensive for all users, so it

adds the diagrams extension module which allows users to add diagrams according

to their specific requirements that the system doesn’t contain. Users can customize

diagrams data documents and diagrams expressions, which are stored in the system

and available all the time. Major functions of the module includes: diagrams

classification management, diagrams expressions edition, diagrams expressions

validation, etc. And users can modify or delete their extended diagrams at any time,

but cannot do these with the 230 built-in diagrams.

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According to Figure 7, In the process of completing diagram information, users

just need to browse and choose the diagram xml file or customized one. To custom

one needs four steps: first step, to complete the diagram basic information; second

step, to complete coordinate axis information; third step, to complete coordinate axis

format information; fourth step, to complete regional and ional label information.

After completing the diagram information and import xml file, users can preview the

customized diagram and save it in the system database to use next time directly.

Figure 6. Plotting using bi-coordinate-axis system. Figure 7. Diagram Extension interface.

CONCLUSIONS

GeoDrop is a user-friendly program, which is developed by the C# language and

runs under the platform of Windows7 or above. Relative to the current mainstream

Petrogeochemistry diagram processing software, it has three advantages as follows:

Independence, which means it does not rely on the third-party software.

GeoDrop does not need to relay on Excel when do the sample data management and

diagrams plotting. For this reason, no matter how the version of MS Office updates,

it has no effect on GeoDrop. But, users also can use the import and export functions

of GeoDrop to operate data in Excel format. So, GeoDrop is independent, and also

can be compatible with other software at the same time.

Highly automated, which means users can implement plotting diagram

following the wizard step by step. By understanding the basic diagrams processing

flow when Petrogeochemical experts do research, in GeoDrop, we break the whole

process into three steps: select diagram, select plot sample-data, and select plot

element. In each step, users just need to do some simply options or settings that can

implement the Petrogeochemical data’s diagram plotting.

Extensibility, which means users can customize the diagram as needed. Now no

one diagram plotting software can completely cover all the diagrams, which are

needed by users. So, although GeoDrop has 230 built-in diagram base maps, it also

provides a friendly interface for users to customize the diagram types they need. The

only thing users need to do is just to follow the steps, and they will create their own

diagram type. Users can modify their own diagram types all the time.

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The all above advantages will make GeoDrop have a high usability in the

Petrogeochemistry field.

ACKNOWGEMENT

Funded by China Geological Survey Project “Technological Innovation and

Demonstration of Old Mine Remoulding” (1212011220737).

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