Abstract: A method, apparatus, and program product may utilize a stratigraphic implicit function, e.g., as used in connection with volume based modeling, to generate structural information for a subsurface formation. In particular, structural information for a subsurface formation may be generated by determining a location in a volume of interest in the subsurface formation from subsurface formation data associated with the subsurface formation, accessing a numerical model having a monotonously varying stratigraphic implicit function defined within the volume of interest to determine a value of the stratigraphic implicit function corresponding to the determined location, and generating at least one structural element for the subsurface formation from the stratigraphic implicit function of the numerical model based upon a spatial distribution of the determined value within the volume of interest.

Abstract: A method for predicting regional stress of a subsurface volume includes obtaining a model matrix of the subsurface volume representing a relationship between a modeled fault slip result generated by a model and a boundary condition applied to the model, the boundary condition having a regional stress attribute and a fault friction attribute, calculating, using the model, the modeled fault slip result based on a selected value of the stress attribute and a selected value of the friction attribute, calculating a cost function representing a difference between the modeled fault slip result and a measurement of the subsurface volume, and minimizing the cost function by iteratively adjusting at least the selected value of the stress attribute to generate a prediction of the regional stress of the subsurface volume.