Surface: Surface is a 2-1/2 dimensional visualization program for viewing regularly gridded data as a color contoured, gradient, or shaded relief surface. It is included in the UNCERT software as a tool to view the values in a two-dimensional array as three dimensional surface. This is referred to as a 2-1/2 dimensional surface because for each X-Y grid location, there is only one Z value. In a true 3D model each X-Y location may have multiple Z values. This package is used to view gridded surface data generated from grid, or for examining layers or cross-sections from sisim, MODFLOW (McDonald and Harbaugh, 1984), and MT3D output files. Surface may also be used to display any regularly gridded data, from other sources, DEM's (Digital Elevation Model's) being a common example.

Surface is used to display two-dimensional grids as three-dimensional surfaces. In this "2-1/2D" surface, the color variation represents elevation. Click for full size image
Besides displaying basic contoured surfaces, gradients can also be displayed with this package. This could be useful for slope analysis. Click for full size image
While the above figures are useful for analyzing an atribute of the surface, a shaded relief can often give the user a better qualitative feel for the surface. It is also a useful tool for highlighting unusual surface features. In the drainage (front-left) there are dimples, up and down, on the surface. These happen to be the digitized data points. For other data sets, the features can be real, and by shifting the light source, features such as faults and joints become obvious. Click for full size image
By switching color palettes, in this case with the shaded relief surface, other gridding artifacts can be seen that were in the "shadows." Click for full size image

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