Sage 2001 Software

A Spatial and Geostatistical
Environment for
Variography
Isaaks & Co.
205 E. 3rd Ave.
Suite 300
San Mateo, CA 94401
SAGE2001
General Purpose Software for

Variography
Copyright 1999
Isaaks & Co.
San Mateo, California 94401
Proprietary Notice
Isaaks & Co. owns both this software program and its documentation.
Both the program and the documentation are copyrighted with all the
rights reserved by Isaaks & Co.
See the License Agreement and Limited Warranty for complete
information.
Copyright 1998 Isaaks & Co.
205 East Third Ave.
Suite 300
San Mateo CA 94401
Phone (650) 655-9051
Fax (650) 655-9443
Email ed@isaaks.com
http://www.isaaks.com
License Agreement and Limited Warranty

Both the program and the documentation are protected under applicable
copyright laws. Your right to use the program and the documentation is
limited to the terms and conditions described herein.
1.0 GRANT OF LICENSE. Isaaks & Co. grants you the non-exclusive
and nontransferable right during the term of this agreement to use this
computer program only for the benefit of yourself and your organization.
This includes the right to perform services for your customers. Under
these terms you may use this computer program on one single central
processing unit (CPU) used by a single user at a time.
2.0 COPYRIGHT. This computer program including the information
contained in it is protected by United States and international copyright
laws. You may not, without prior written consent of Isaaks and Co.
reproduce, translate, or modify this computer program in any form, in
whole or in part, or prepare any derivative work based on this computer
program.
3.0 RESTRICTIONS. You may not in whole or in part, rent lease,
license, disclose, or give this computer program to any person or
organization for any purpose other than specified above unless such use is
with the written permission of Isaaks & Co. You agree to take all
responsible steps to prevent unauthorized use of this computer program.
Except as specified above, this agreement does not grant you the right to
any patents copyrights, rights, or licenses in respect of this computer
program.
4.0 TERM AND TERMINATION. This license and this agreement are
effective until terminated. You may terminate them at any time by
destroying this computer program and its documentation. Isaaks & Co.
has the right to terminate the license and this agreement immediately if
you fail to comply with any term or condition of this agreement. Upon
any termination, you must destroy this computer program and its
documentation.
5.0 LIMITATION OF WARRANTIES AND LIABILITIES. Isaaks &
Co. warrants to customer only that the Computer program, for a period of
ninety (90) days after the initial delivery to customer hereunder (the
warranty period), will perform substantially in accordance with the
Documentation. Isaaks and Co. shall at its expense, provide all
corrections or work-arounds for any errors which may be discovered in
the computer program and reported by customer during Warranty Period
3
and will deliver a corrected version of the computer program to Customer

no later than the delivery of the next code update, if required. For
purposes hereof an error shall be a defect in the Computer program
which causes the Computer Program to not operate substantially in
accordance with the Documentation. This warranty shall not apply to the
Computer Program it it has been modified, other than by Isaaks & Co.
Isaaks & Co. does not and cannot warrant the performance or results that
may be obtained by using the Licensed software. The Foregoing states
Isaaks & Cos sole and exclusive remedy for breach of warranty. Isaaks
& Co. disclaims all other warranties, expressed or implied, including, but
not limited to warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular
purpose.
6.0 CHOICE OF LAW. This agreement will be governed by the laws of
the State of California as applied to transactions taking place entirely
between California residents.
7.0 INTEGRATION. You have read and understand this agreement, and
acknowledge that it is the final, complete and exclusive agreement
between you and Isaaks & Co. concerning its subject matter, superseding
any prior related understanding or agreement. No waiver, variation, or
different terms of this agreement will be enforceable against Isaaks & Co.
unless Isaaks & Co. gives its prior consent signed by an officer of Isaaks
& Co.
Table of Contents
1.0 INTRODUCTION. ....................................................................... 8
2.0 GETTING STARTED ................................................................. 10
2.1 Installing the Demonstration Version of SAGE2001 ................. 10
2.2 Authorizing SAGE2001 for Unlimited Use............................... 11
2.3 Transferring the SAGE2001 Authorization License from One
Computer to Another. ...................................................................... 12
3.0 CALCULATING SAMPLE VARIOGRAMS............................... 14
3.1 SAGE2001 Coordinate System and Definitions. ....................... 14
3.2 Importing Data Files................................................................. 15
3.2.1 The SAGE2001 File Format............................................... 15
3.2.2 Importing the Data File...................................................... 16
3.2.3 Import File Delimiters. ...................................................... 16
3.2.4 The Import File Grid.......................................................... 16
3.2.5 Adding Column Headers.................................................... 17
3.2.6 Setting the Attribute Type.................................................. 17
3.3 Opening Existing SAGE2001 Files............................................ 18
3.4 Selecting Data Attributes and Constraints. ................................ 18
3.4.1 Selecting Attributes for the X,Y, and Z Coordinates. .......... 18
3.4.2 Selecting the Sample Variogram Attribute.......................... 19
3.4.3 Calculating a Down-The-Hole Sample Variogram. ............. 19
3.4.4 Specifying Additional Constraints:..................................... 20
3.5 Azimuths, Dips, Lags, and Tolerances. ..................................... 21
3.5.1 Directional Increments....................................................... 22
3.5.2 Lag Specifications. ............................................................ 22
3.5.3 Bandwidths. ...................................................................... 22
3.5.4 Tolerances......................................................................... 23
3.5.5 Customizing Azimuths, Dip Angles, and/or Lag Distances. .. 23
3.6 Sample Variogram Estimators, Transforms, and Output Files.... 24
3.6.1 Title. ................................................................................. 24
3.6.2 Estimators: ........................................................................ 25
3.6.3 Cutoff................................................................................ 26
3.6.4 Log Transform................................................................... 26
3.6.5 % of Samples..................................................................... 26
3.6.6 Output Files....................................................................... 26
4.0 MODELING SAMPLE VARIOGRAMS ...................................... 27
4.1 An Introduction to Variogram Modeling Using SAGE2001. ..... 27
4.1.1 Variogram Model Parameters by Least Squares.................. 27
4.1.2 Rotation Conventions. ....................................................... 28
4.2 Setup Parameters...................................................................... 30
4.2.1 Input File........................................................................... 30
4.2.2 Output Files....................................................................... 30
4.2.3 Project Title....................................................................... 31
5
4.2.4 Excluding Sample Variogram points. ................................. 31

4.2.5 Weighting Scheme............................................................. 31
4.2.6 Structure Types. ................................................................ 31
4.3 Rotation Conventions. .............................................................. 32
4.3.1 Standard Conventions.......................................................... 32
4.3.2 Custom Conventions.......................................................... 34
4.4 Calculating the Parameters of the Variogram Model. ................ 34
4.4.1 Letting SAGE2001 Calculate the Variogram Model. .......... 34
4.4.2 Locking the Nested Structure Rotations.............................. 34
4.4.3 Report Formats.................................................................. 36
4.4.4 Overriding SAGE2001....................................................... 36
4.4.5 Interactive Variogram Modeling. ....................................... 36
5.0 VIEWING AND PRINTING REPORTS. .................................... 39
5.1 Opening the Print Report Window............................................ 39
5.2 The Print Report Window......................................................... 39
5.2.1 Viewing the Report on Screen............................................ 40
5.2.2 Printing the Report............................................................. 40
6.0 VIEWING AND PRINTING VARIOGRAMS ............................ 41
6.1 Opening the Plot Window. ....................................................... 41
6.2 The Plot Window. .................................................................... 41
6.2.1 Viewing Sample Variograms One at a Time....................... 42
6.2.2 Viewing Multiple Directions in One Display...................... 42
6.2.3 Display Options................................................................. 42
6.2.4 Re-scaling the Plot Axes. ................................................... 43
6.2.5 Printing the Plot................................................................. 43
6.2.6 Inserting the Plot into a Report........................................... 43
7.0 A WORKING EXAMPLE. .......................................................... 44
7.1 Importing the Data File. ........................................................... 44
7.1.1 Adding Column Headers.................................................... 44
7.1.2 Saving the SAG file. ......................................................... 46
7.2 Calculating the Sample Variograms.......................................... 46
7.2.1 The Select Variogram Attributes & Constraints Window. ... 47
7.2.2 The Calculate Sample Variograms Directions Window.... 48
7.2.3 Calculate Sample Variograms Finish Window................. 50
7.3 Viewing the Sample Variograms. ............................................. 52
7.3.1 The Plot Window............................................................... 53
7.4 Viewing and Printing the Sample Variogram Report. ................ 55
7.4.1 The Print Report Window. ................................................. 55
7.5 Modeling the Sample Variograms............................................. 56
7.5.1 The Model Sample Variograms Setup Window. .............. 57
7.5.2
The Model Sample Variograms Rotation Convention
Window....................................................................................... 58
7.5.3 The Model Sample Variogram Parameters Window......... 59
7.5.4 The Parameters of the Variogram Model. ........................... 60
6
7.5.4
7.5.5
7.5.6
7.5.7
7.5.8
The Parameters of the Variogram Model. ........................... 61

Interactive Variogram Modeling. ....................................... 62
The Plot Window............................................................... 63
Viewing and Printing The Variogram Model Report........... 64
Additional Postscript Output Files...................................... 64
1.0
INTRODUCTION.
SAGE2001 is a Windows 95/98/NT software toolkit designed for:

1. the calculation of directional sample variograms and,
2. the modeling of sample variograms.
SAGE2001 is designed to work with many directional sample variograms
at one time. Experience shows that at least 20 to 30 directional sample
variograms are required to obtain a reasonably representative model of 3
dimensional spatial continuity. SAGE2001 enables the user to easily
calculate 1 to 50 or more directional sample variograms in one run and
then fit a model to all of the directional sample variograms
simultaneously by regression.
SAGE2001 makes the calculation of sample variograms easy, while
providing the user with complete control over the calculations.
Either two or three-dimensional data may be processed. There is
no limit on the size of the input data file.
The selection of data points may be restricted to user specified
limits on each coordinate (x,y,z) and/or to user specified limits
on the variogram variable itself.
The selection of data may also be restricted by specifying a
correlated variable within user specified limits.
The selection of data may also be restricted to specific rock
types, alteration types, soil types, etc.
The input data may be transformed using the log or indicator
transform.
Down-the-hole variograms can be calculated.
Directional sample variograms can be fully defined by user
specified azimuths, dip angles, tolerance angles, vertical bands,
horizontal bands, lag distances, and lag tolerances
Both omni-directional and omni-directional-horizontal (all
directions are parallel to a plane, possibly dipping) may be
calculated.
Sample variogram estimators include the traditional average
squared difference estimator; the correlogram; and the pair wise
relative estimators.
Smaller subsets of the input data may be selected randomly from
large data files.
Excellent report files and summary statistics are easily generated
and viewed on screen or printed for future reference.
Sample variograms can easily be viewed on screen, one at a
time, or by displaying multiple directions on one screen.
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Hardcopy of all graphic displays can be easily sent to the printer

or clipboard.
In addition to calculating directional sample variograms, SAGE2001 will
also fit a variogram model to the calculated directional sample variograms
by least squares or regression. For example, given 50 or more directional
sample variograms, SAGE2001 can rapidly calculate the set of model
parameters that minimize the average squared difference between the
variogram model and all 50 directional sample variograms
simultaneously.
The regression or fitting of the variogram model to the directional sample
variograms can be controlled by the user as follows:
The sample variogram(s) may originate from one, two, or
three-dimensional data.
The variogram model may consist of one or two nested
structures.
Each structure may be a spherical or exponential model.
A minimum number of pairs/sample variogram point may
be specified.
The maximum lag distance may be specified.
Each sample variogram point may be weighted by the
number of pairs.
Each directional sample variogram may be weighted by the
inverse number of sample variogram points.
The user may select one of several popular conventions for
the anisotropy rotation angles or define his own rotation
conventions. Thus, the variogram models developed by
SAGE2001 are compatible and may be used with any
geostatistical software package.
Any or all of the variogram model parameters may be
specified by the user. For example, the user may specify the
nugget and the third rotation angle. SAGE2001 will leave
the user specified parameters intact while it calculates
values for the remaining unspecified parameters.
The models of spatial continuity provided by SAGE2001 are generally far
more accurate than those obtained using any other software package. This
is because 30, 40, or 50 directional sample variograms provide a far better
sample of spatial continuity than the 3 or 4 directions typically calculated
and modeled by other software. Only SAGE2001 is capable of modeling
30, 40, 50, or more sample variograms simultaneously.
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2.0 GETTING STARTED

This section shows you how to set up the SAGE2001 software on your
computer to begin calculating and modeling sample variograms.
2.1 Installing the Demonstration Version of SAGE2001

The initial version of SAGE2001 that you install on your computer will
be a demo version. The demo version is fully functional and can perform
all of the functions that a fully licensed version can perform. You will be
able to use the demo version of SAGE2001 for a period of 20 days from
the date of installation with no obligations. SAGE2001 will write the
demo expiration date to the main window so you will know the number of
demo days remaining.
To Install SAGE2001 on your computer use the program SETUP.EXE.
This program will install the SAGE2001 executable and other files from
the distribution diskettes to your hard disk. The distribution disk contains
files in a compressed format. You cannot simply copy the files from the
distribution disk to your hard disk and run the program. You must use the
Setup program that decompresses and installs the files in the appropriate
directories.
The system requirements to run SAGE2001 on your computer are:
Any IBM compatible running Windows 95, 98, or NT.
A hard disk
A 3.5 inch floppy disk drive.
To start Setup:
Place distribution disk No. 1 in the A: drive.
Click Start on the Windows taskbar, click Run, type
A:SETUP in the textbox, then click OKAY.
Follow the Setup instructions on the screen.
By default, the Setup program creates the C:\SAGE2001 directory.
However, you can change the name of the directory during installation.
The SAGE2001 icon will be installed in a new program group
SAGE2001.
To uninstall SAGE2001:
Click Start on the Windows taskbar, point to Programs,
point to SAGE2001, and click Uninstall SAGE2001.
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2.2 Authorizing SAGE2001 for Unlimited Use.

At the end of the 20 day demonstration period an authorization license
will be required for further use of SAGE2001. The authorization license
will provide unlimited use of SAGE2001 and can be validated any time
during the 20 day demonstration period. To gain unlimited use of
SAGE2001 follow these steps:
1.
Click on the Variography Unlock menu items as shown below.
2.
SAGE2001 will open the Unlock Form Window as shown below.
3.
Use a pencil or pen to record the Code Entry Number and

Computer ID numbers exactly as they are displayed. Store them in a
safe place.
Click Save Codes. This will save the codes so that they are
compatible with the Authorization Code that will be returned to
you.
4.
11
5.
Then either email, telephone, or fax the Code Entry Number and
the Computer ID number to:
(email)
ed&isaaks.com
(fax)
(650) 558-9443 fax
(Telephone)
(650) 558-9051
or mail to:
Isaaks & Co.
205 East 3rd Ave.,
Suite 300
San Mateo, CA, 94401-4052
6. Isaaks & Co. will send you an Authorization Code upon receipt of
payment. Re-open the Unlock Form as shown on the previous page
and enter the Authorization Code in the text box. Click OKAY and
the program will be authorized for unlimited use.
For the most recent price list etc., contact Isaaks & Co. as described
above or check the SAGE2001 web page at:
http://www.isaaks.com
Note that the complete version of SAGE2001 and this Users Manual can
also be downloaded from this web page.
2.3 Transferring the SAGE2001 Authorization License

from One Computer to Another.
The single user license authorizes SAGE2001 for use on one computer.
However, the authorization license can be moved from the donor
computer (this is the computer with the current license) to a recipient
computer (this is the computer you are moving the license to) as
described by the following steps:
1. Install a demo version of SAGE2001 on the recipient
computer.
2. Start SAGE2001 on the recipient computer and click the
License Transfer Start Transfer menu items as shown
below.
12
SAGE2001 will ask you to insert a floppy diskette in the

recipient computer drive. SAGE2001 will then prepare
this diskette for a license transfer.
3.
Start SAGE2001 on the donor computer and click the

License Transfer Transfer This License menu items as
shown below.
4.
7.
Put the floppy diskette prepared in Step 3 into the donor

computer drive. SAGE2001 will then transfer the license to
the prepared diskette.
5. Remove the diskette from the donor computer and insert it
back into the recipient computer drive.
Click the License Transfer Complete Transfer menu items
on the recipient computer as shown below.
8.
SAGE2001 will copy the license from the diskette to the

recipient computer.
Thats all there is to it!
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3.0 CALCULATING SAMPLE VARIOGRAMS

3.1 SAGE2001 Coordinate System and Definitions.
SAGE2001 is based on the conventions of the CARTESIAN
COORDINATE SYSTEM. For example, if the system of axes is oriented
so that:
the X axis runs east/west with values increasing to the east,
the Y axis runs north/south with values increasing to the north,
then the Z axis will be vertical with values increasing upward.
DIP ANGLES. A positive dip angle is measured upwards from the
horizontal while a negative dip angle is measured downwards from the
horizontal.
AZIMUTH. The 0 or 360 degree azimuth lies parallel to the positive Y
axis. (This is generally interpreted to be NORTH with EAST being
parallel to the X axis. The 90 degree azimuth is parallel to the positive X
axis). A useful conversion between the sine and cosine of the azimuth and
the Cartesian coordinate system angle or alpha (measured counter
clockwise from the positive X axis towards the positive Y axis) is:
sine() = cosine(azimuth)
cosine() = sine(azimuth)
This works for all angles and azimuths.
For those who would like a detailed explanation of spatial continuity and
the mechanics of calculating sample variograms, the textbook, Isaaks
and Srivastava, (1989) An Introduction to Applied Geostatistics, Oxford
University Press, pages 44 to 66 is recommended. This reference will be
particularly helpful in understanding the fundamental concepts of
variography and terms such as separation vector, sample variogram
estimator, correlogram, h-scatterplot, and lag statistics etc.
14
3.2 Importing Data Files.

3.2.1 The SAGE2001 File Format.
SAGE2001 requires data files to be in a special ascii format with the file
names ending with the *.sag suffix. The SAG format contains 4 header
records as shown by the following example.
SAGE2001-001
6
0, 1, 1,
1,
1, 0
ID, East, North, Elevation, Cu, Zone,
NVW,92475.00,104872.00,6800.00,2.473,20.000
NVW,92475.00,104872.00,6758.00,.981,5.000
SVW,92402.00,104802.00,6840.00,1.015,2.000
The first record contains the version number. The second record contains
the number of columns in the data set. The third record contains an
indicator for each column where 0 (zero) indicates a categorical variable,
while 1 (one) indicates a continuous variable. The fourth record contains
the header labels for each column. All columns must be delimited by
commas in a SAG file. The import facility in SAGE2001 makes it very
easy to create a SAG file.
Figure1: Clicking items to open the import file dialogue box.

15
3.2.2 Importing the Data File.

If your file is not in the SAG format, you must IMPORT your data file
into SAGE2001. To import a data file, click the Variography Sample
Variograms Import File menu items as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 2: The standard

open file dialogue box.
SAGE2001 will then open a standard Open File Dialogue Box as shown
in Figure 2. Click the file you wish to import and then click Open.
3.2.3 Import File Delimiters.
SAGE2001 will import ASCII files in FREE format with various types of
delimiters. For example, the original data file may be delimited as
follows:
Space delimited
Comma delimited
Tab delimited
Strings may or may not be enclosed within double quotation
marks
3.2.4 The Import File Grid.
SAGE2001 will respond to a click on the OPEN button of the Open File
dialogue box (Figure 2) by reading the import file and writing the first 5
16
records to a File Import Grid shown in Figure 3. The number of records

read will be shown on the upper right corner of the grid.
Figure 3: Adding column

headers using the Import File
Grid.
3.2.5 Adding Column Headers.

Column headers may be added to each column of the import file by
selecting Use row 6 for column headers in the Column Headers frame.
Then type the name or column header for each column in row 6 of the
grid. Figure 3 shows a partially finished example where the column
headers Sequence, BHID, East, and North have been typed by the user.
Note that Row 1 may be used as column headers by default.
3.2.6 Setting the Attribute Type.
Each column of data in a SAGE2001 data file must designated as either a
categorical or numerical type. SAGE2001 will initially classify each
column. However, the user may change the type by clicking on the drop
down list box in row 7. Columns containing variables such as Drill Hole
ID, Rock Type, Alteration Zone, Mineralogical Zone etc., should be set to
Categorical. This will enable subsequent variogram calculations to be
restricted to specific categories.
17
Finally, click the NEXT button, and SAGE2001 will create a new file.
The new file will be named with the same prefix as the import file, but
will have the SAG suffix appended. For example, the imported file
robson.dat (Figure 2) would be written to disk as robson.sag.
3.3 Opening Existing SAGE2001 Files.

To open an existing SAGE2001 data file (*.sag), click the Variography
Sample Variograms Open File menu items. SAGE2001 will
Figure 4: Opening an existing SAGE2001 data file (*.sag).

respond by opening up a standard Open File dialogue box. However,
only files with the suffix sag will be listed. Click the name of the sag file
you wish to open and then click the Open button. SAGE2001 will
respond by reading the selected file and report whether or not the file has
been read successfully. The program then advises the user to click the
Next button to continue.
3.4 Selecting Data Attributes and Constraints.

3.4.1 Selecting Attributes for the X,Y, and Z Coordinates.
X-Coordinate. Click the drop-down-list-box arrow as shown in
Figure 5. Select the appropriate attribute from the drop down list by
clicking on it. For example, the drop-down-list shown in Figure 5
contains the attributes East, North, Elevation, and Cu. The attribute
18
East has been selected from the list. SAGE2001 will respond by
displaying the maximum and minimum values of the attribute in the
text boxes to the right. A new maximum and/or minimum may be
specified by typing over the displayed values.
Y-Coordinate. Similarly, select the appropriate attribute from the
drop down list. Specify a new maximum or minimum if required.
Z-Coordinate. Similarly, select the appropriate attribute from the
Figure 5: Selecting variables and constraints for sample variogram

calculations.
3.4.2 Selecting the Sample Variogram Attribute.
Attribute#1. Select the appropriate attribute or variable from the
This is the attribute for which sample variograms will be calculated.
3.4.3 Calculating a Down-The-Hole Sample Variogram.
Bore Hole ID. Specifying a proper categorical attribute for Bore

Hole ID will cause SAGE2001 to calculate a down-the-hole sample
19
variogram. Down-the-hole sample variograms are calculated in a

special way:
All tolerance angles are ignored.
All bandwidths are ignored.
Only samples with the same Bore Hole ID are paired.
Variogram values from different Bore Holes but with the
same lag distance are averaged together.
The result is one sample variogram where the lag spacing is
generally set equal to the drill hole composite length. The directions
of the down-the-hole sample variogram will correspond to a mixture
of the various bore hole directions. However, if all the Bore Hole
samples are in the same direction, then the sample variogram can be
considered as a directional sample variogram in the same direction as
the bore holes.
The BHID ID attribute must be a categorical variable whose values
are identification labels unique to each bore hole.
3.4.4 Specifying Additional Constraints:
Attribute#2. Additional constraints may be added to the selection of
Attribute#1 by specifying a second attribute from the Attribute#2
drop-down-list-box. Note that Attribute#2 is a continuous variable.
Specify the maximum and/or minimum constraints for Attribute#2 in
the text boxes to the right. For example, suppose the input data
contains both a copper and arsenic value for each sample. The user
wishes to calculate a sample variogram of copper (selected from the
Attribute#1 drop-down-list-box) but wishes to include only those
copper values with an associated arsenic value greater than 0.05. To
do this the user would select arsenic from the Attribute#2 dropdown-list-box, and set the corresponding minimum to 0.05.
Attribute#3. This attribute enables the restriction of Attribute#1
values to specific categorical attributes such as rock type, soil type,
alteration type, etc. For example, in Figure 5, Lithology is a
categorical variable that has been selected from the Attribute#3
drop-down-list-box. SAGE2001 has automatically displayed all the
Lithology categories in the scrollable list box to the right. The user
has selected Lithologies 31 and 34 from the list of zones. This will
restrict the selection of Attribute#1 values to Lithologies 31 and 34
for the purposes of calculating sample variograms.
Clicking the Next button will open the next window for specifying the
directional parameters.
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3.5 Azimuths, Dips, Lags, and Tolerances.
Figure 6: Specifying Azimuths, Dips, Lags, and other tolerances for the
computation of directional sample variograms.
SAGE2001 is designed to calculate sample variograms in many directions
simultaneously. To facilitate the entry of the many directional parameters,
SAGE2001 requires the user to enter only the angular increments and one
global unit lag distance. For example, a directional increment of 45
degrees specified for the azimuth will cause SAGE2001 to calculate
sample variograms in the directions given by azimuths 0, 45, 90, 135,
180, 225,270, and 315 degrees.
21
However, if the user wishes to either specify or modify specific azimuths,

dips, or lags, he can do so using the grid shown at the bottom of Figure 6.
The following text provides more details on how to respond to the text
boxes shown in Figure 6.
3.5.1 Directional Increments.
Azimuth. Select the azimuth increment from the drop-down-list box.
For dip angles of 0 degrees, the sample variogram at an azimuth of X
degrees is identical to its compliment at X+180 degrees. Although
redundant, these sample variograms are retained since they are useful
for the SAGE2001 modeling algorithm. Note that for dip angles
different from zero, sample variograms with an azimuth of X are not
symmetric to those with an azimuth of X+180 degrees and the same
dip angle.
Dip Angle. Select the dip angle increment from the drop-down-listbox. The total number of directional sample variograms is
determined by the number of azimuth directions times the number of
dip directions except for the 90 degree dip. Only one directional
sample variogram is calculated for the 90 dip. For example, an
azimuth increment of 30 degrees combined with a dip increment of 30 degrees will provide a total of 37 directional sample variograms
3.5.2 Lag Specifications.
Unit Distance. Type in the unit lag distance appropriate for the data
set at hand. This unit distance is initially applied to all directions.
Max. No. of Lags. Type in the maximum number of lags to calculate
each directional sample variogram. The magnitude of the largest
separation vector between two sample variogram points is given by
the Max. No. of Lags times the Unit Distance.
3.5.3 Bandwidths.
The horizontal and vertical bandwidths control the horizontal and vertical
tolerances allowed in the pairing of sample variogram points. Figure 7
shows the definition of the band thickness. The thick black arrow
represents the separation vector. A sample variogram point at the tail of
the separation vector can only be paired with sample variogram points
located within the vertical and horizontal bands. Note that the horizontal
bands are not actually horizontal unless the separation vector is
horizontal. More accurately, the horizontal bands always have the same
dip angle and dip direction as the separation vector. Thus, they are always
parallel to the separation vector. This includes dips between 90 and 90
degrees inclusive.
22
3.5.4 Tolerances.
Lag. Type in the required lag tolerance. The tolerance must be

specified as a fraction of the unit lag distance and must be between
Figure 7: The vertical and

horizontal bandthickness.
0.0 and 0.50. This lag will be initially applied to all directions.
Angular. Type in the required angular tolerance in degrees. For
example, Figure 6 shows an angular tolerance of 22.5 degrees.
The tolerance angle is applied both horizontally and vertically
forming a three dimensional cone whose axis is coincident with the
separation vector.
3.5.5 Customizing Azimuths, Dip Angles, and/or Lag Distances.

SAGE2001 automatically prepares a grid or spreadsheet and populates it
with the actual azimuths, dip angles and lag distances calculated from the
information entered in the Directional Increment and Lag
Specifications text boxes. For example, the top row (shaded gray) of the
spreadsheet at the bottom of Figure 6 shows the azimuths (0, 30, 60, 90,
120, etc.) of the directional sample variograms. Similarly, the first
column (also shaded gray) shows the dip angles (0, -45, -90) for the
directional sample variograms. The interior entries in the spreadsheet are
the unit lag distances for each directional sample variogram. For example,
Figure 6 shows a lag of 65 units (a user edit) for the directional sample
23
variogram with an azimuth of 60 degrees and a dip of 45 degrees. Note

that the user may edit each or all of the azimuths, dips, and unit lag
distances shown in the spreadsheet. This provides the user with total
control over the specification of azimuth, dip, and lag distance for each
directional sample variogram.
3.6
Sample Variogram Estimators, Transforms, and
Output Files.
Figure 8: The final screen requiring parameters for the calculation of

sample variograms.
3.6.1 Title.
Type in the name of the data or project name. This title will appear in the
reports and plots.
24
3.6.2 Estimators:
Click on the drop-down-list-box and select one of the following sample
variogram estimators:
Standardized Traditional Estimator. The equation of the

standardized traditional estimator is given by:
2
(h) =
1 N (h )
[Z i Z i +h ] / Z2
2N(h) i =1
(1)
where h is the separation vector, Z i is the sample value at location

i , Z i + h is at location i + h which is separated from location i by
the vector h , and Z is the global variance of Z .
2
The Pairwise Relative Estimator.

(h) =
1
2 N (h)
N (h)
[Z
Z i + h ]2 /[(Z i + Z i + h ) / 2]2
(2)
i =1
The Correlogram Estimator.
1 N(h)
(h) = 1.0 (Z i Z i+h + m ( h ) m ( +h) ) / ( h ) ( +h )
N (h) i =1
(3)
where the tail mean m( h ) is given by:
N ( h)
m( h ) =
1
N (h)
(4)
i =1
and the head mean m( + h ) is given by:

N (h)
m( + h ) =
1
N (h)
i+h
(5)
i =1
and ( h ) is the lag standard deviation of Z i , and ( + h ) is the lag

standard deviation of Z i + h , i = 1, N (h) .
The Indicator Estimator. This estimator has exactly the same form
as the standardized traditional estimator given above except that the
variable Z i has been transformed to an indicator variable as follows:
25
1 if Z i cutoff
Ii =
0 otherwise
i = 1, N
(6)
3.6.3 Cutoff.
Specify the required cutoff to define the indicator transform as defined in
the equation above.
3.6.4 Log Transform..
.Click this check box if you wish to compute a sample variogram of Y
using the transform Yi = ln( Z i ) i = 1, N
3.6.5 % of Samples.
This box can be used to select a random subset of the input data. For
example, to select all of the samples, set the % of samples to 100. A value
of 50 will select approximately 50 percent of the available sample data.
Note that the samples are selected randomly. This option is useful for
very large data sets such as blast holes that may contain as many as
300,000 or more records.
3.6.6 Output Files.
SAGE2001 writes 3 files summarizing the calculated sample variograms.
These are:
Report. The report file written by SAGE2001 is an ASCII file with
the suffix rpt. This file is an excellent documentation file that
summarizes both the input parameters and the output lag statistics.
This file may be easily printed and filed if a permanent record of the
sample variogram calculations is required
Autofit. This file is written by SAGE2001 for the purposes of
modeling the sample variograms. It is an ASCII file ending with the
suffix pli and contains sample variogram data. The file is read by
SAGE2001 at the time of modeling.
Plot. This is also an ASCII file written by SAGE2001. The file is
used to display the sample variograms on the computer screen. The
file suffix is plt.
The user must supply file names for all three files before SAGE2001 will
calculate the sample variograms. Click the Finish button to begin the
sample variogram calculations.
26
4.0 MODELING SAMPLE VARIOGRAMS

4.1
An Introduction to Variogram Modeling Using
SAGE2001.
4.1.1 Variogram Model Parameters by Least Squares.
In addition to calculating directional sample variograms, SAGE2001 can
also fit a variogram model to the directional sample variograms by least
squares or regression. For example, given 37 or more directional sample
variograms, SAGE2001 can rapidly calculate the set of variogram model
parameters that minimize the average squared difference between the
variogram model and all 37 directional sample variograms
simultaneously. The parameters determined by SAGE2001 are currently
limited to the following set:
1.
2.
C0 -- the nugget
C1 the coefficient of the first nested structure.
3.
RX 1 -- the range of the first structure in the direction of the

rotated X axis.
4.
RY 1 -- the range of the first structure in the direction of the

rotated Y axis.
5.
RZ 1 -- the range of the first structure in the direction of the

rotated Z axis.
6.
AZ 1 -- the rotation angle of the first structure around the Z

axis.
7.
AX 1 -- the rotation angle of the first structure around the

rotated X axis.
8.
AY 1 -- the rotation angle of the first structure around the

rotated Y axis.
C2 the coefficient of the second nested structure.
9.
'
'
'
'
'
'
10. RX 2 -- the range of the second structure in the direction of

the rotated X axis.
'
11. RY 2 -- the range of the second structure in the direction of

the rotated Y axis.
'
12. RZ 2 -- the range of the second structure in the direction of

the rotated Z axis.
27
13. AZ 2 -- the rotation angle of the second structure around the

Z axis.
'
14. AX 2 -- the rotation angle of the second structure around the

rotated X axis.
'
15. AY 2 -- the rotation angle of the second structure around the

rotated Y axis.
Note that the rotation angles for the second structure are generally very
different from those of the first structure. Thus, the maximum number of
unique variogram model parameters determined by SAGE2001 is 15.
However, any subset of these parameters may be specified by the user in
which case SAGE2001 will calculate values for the remaining parameters
not specified by the user (if they exist). Thus, SAGE2001 provides the
user with a broad range of control over the modeling process from full
user control to letting SAGE2001 do all the work.
4.1.2 Rotation Conventions.
Unfortunately, coordinate transformations by rotation are not unique. For
example, if one wishes to rotate a coordinate system of axes to a new
predetermined position, the rotations required to get there can be defined
many different ways. For example, if one requires a rotation around the Z
axis so that the final rotated Y axis is at an azimuth of 20 degrees
measured in the non-rotated system, then the required rotation can be
specified as either:
a left1 hand rotation of 20 degrees,
or, a right hand rotation of 340 degrees.
Either one of these rotation algorithms will provide the correct result.
The right and left hand rules are unambiguous, simple to understand,
and easily applied. For example, to rotate around the Z axis according to
the right hand rule, imagine grabbing the Z axis with the right hand so
that the thumb is pointing in the direction of increasing Z values. Then
the fingers will be pointing in the direction of a positive right hand
rotation. A negative right hand rotation angle indicates a rotation in the
opposite direction. Note that a positive right hand rotation angle is the
same direction as a negative left hand rotation angle around the same
axis.
28
Rotations are a frequently the source of trouble. Each kriging and

simulation program contains a specific rotation algorithm, probably
defined by the author of the computer code. For example, one kriging
program may be written so that a positive rotation angle around the Z axis
is defined as left hand A second kriging program may define a positive
rotation angle around the Z axis as right hand.
Now, in order for a kriging program to calculate variogram values
correctly, the variogram model must be defined with the identical rotation
algorithm hardwired in the kriging program. For example, consider a
kriging program written so that the rotation around the Z axis is right
hand. Next, consider a variogram model where the rotation around the Z
axis is defined as +20 degrees left. If one simply specifies the rotation
around the Z axis in the kriging plan as +20 degrees, the kriged estimates
will be wrong. In this example, it is easy to make the correction mentally
and specify the correct rotation angle as 340 or -20 degrees to get the
correct estimates. However, if the variogram rotation algorithm is more
complicated, it may be next to impossible to calculate the correction.
Remember the rotation algorithm will likely consist of rotations around
all three axes and the order in which the rotations are applied to the axes
is not interchangeable. For example, an initial rotation around the Z axis
followed by a rotation around the rotated X axis followed by a rotation
around the rotated Y axis is not the same rotation algorithm as an initial
rotation around the Z axis followed by a rotation around the rotated Y
axis followed by a rotation around the rotated X axis.
Thus, you must know the rotation algorithm of your software in order to
use SAGE2001 correctly. This is because SAGE2001 provides many
rotation algorithms in an attempt to provide variogram models compatible
with all kriging and simulation packages. Thus, the onus is on you to
determine the correct rotation algorithm for your geostatistical software.
29
4.2 Setup Parameters
Figure 9: Setting up SAGE2001 for modeling sample variograms.
4.2.1 Input File.

Click the Sample Variogram button to open a standard File/Open
dialogue box. Only files with the extension .pli will be shown in the box.
Select the file name and then click the Open button to open the file.
4.2.2 Output Files.
Plot. Click the Plot button and type in a name for the plot file. This
file is used by SAGE2001 to plot the sample variograms and the
model on the computer screen.
Report. Click the Report button and type in a file name for the report
file. This file contains a detailed summary of the input parameters
and the output variogram model. The azimuths and dip angles are
also provided for the anisotropy axes of each structure. This report is
an excellent summary that can be either viewed on screen or printed
30
and kept as a permanent record of the variogram model and the input
parameters to SAGE2001.
4.2.3 Project Title.
This text box will contain the project or report title specified previously in
the sample variogram screen. The user has the option to change the title
by typing in a new one.
4.2.4 Excluding Sample Variogram points.
Minimum # pairs. Type in the minimum number of pairs each
sample variogram point must have to be considered in the modeling
process. In other words, any sample variogram point with fewer pairs
than the value specified here will not be considered in determining
the variogram model parameters.
Maximum Drift. The drift is defined as the difference between the
head mean and the tail mean (see Equations 4 and 5). Any sample
variogram point with an absolute drift value exceeding the value
specified here will not be considered in determining the variogram
model parameters..
4.2.5 Weighting Scheme.
Select the weighting scheme from the drop-down-list box. The options
are:
No weighting.
Weighting by number of pairs.
Weighting by the inverse number of sample variogram points per
direction. SAGE2001 models all of the directional sample
variograms simultaneously. Thus, this option may be useful if some
of the directional sample variograms contain many more sample
points than others.
4.2.6 Structure Types.
SAGE2001 will model the sample variograms using either one or two
nested structures. Click the appropriate option box to select either one or
two structures. Select each Structure Type from the drop-down-list-box.
If two structures are required, then two structure types must be selected.
The structure types are:
The spherical model.
The exponential model with practical range P :
(h) = 1.0 e -3h/P
(7)
The exponential model with the traditional range T :
31
(h) = 1.0 e -h/T
(8)
Note that 3T = P
Also, note that the first edition of GSLIB (Deutsch and Journel) defined
the exponential model given by (8), but the second edition, defines the
exponential model given by (7).
4.3 Rotation Conventions.
Figure 10: Setting up the rotation conventions for the variogram

model. This screen enables the user to specify a rotation
algorithm for the variogram model so that the model can be used
with external kriging and simulation software such as GSLIB etc.
4.3.1 Standard Conventions.
The user may select one of four different standard rotation conventions or
rotation algorithms2, or alternatively the user may select the Custom
An abbreviated version of the rotation algorithm is provided by the

two groups of 3 letters each within the brackets shown in Figure 10,
i.e. (ZYX, RRR). The order of the rotations is denoted by the first
32
option button and define his own custom rotation algorithm.. The
standard rotation conventions are as follows:
SAGE2001 (ZYX, RRR). This rotation algorithm provides a
variogram model that is compatible with the SAGE2001 kriging and
simulation software.
MEDSYSTEM. (ZXY, LRL) This rotation algorithm will provide
a variogram model compatible with the Medsystem geostatistical
software. However, the Medsystem also provides several rotation
algorithms from which the user must select one. One of these options
is called the GSLIB option. Unfortunately, this option has been
mislabeled or it has been implemented incorrectly. The Medsystem
implementation is (ZXY, LRL) while GSLIB is actually (ZXY,
LRR). Thus, to correctly use SAGE2001 variogram models in the
MEDSYSTEM geostatistical software, select the GSLIB option in
the Medsystem software and the MEDSYSTEM (ZXY, LRL)
option in the SAGE2001 software.
Vulcan by Maptek. (ZXY, LRL). This rotation algorithm will
provide a variogram model compatible with the Vulcan geostatistical
software. Maptek has implemented GSLIB in their software
package. However, they made a slight change to the GSLIB rotation
algorithm by changing the direction of the rotation around the third
rotation axis.
GSLIB
(ZXY, LRR) This rotation algorithm will provide a
variogram model compatible with the GSLIB geostatistical software.
Many who read this may think that the rotation algorithm for GSLIB
is (ZXY, LRL). We agree that the written GSLIB documentation
certainly appears to suggest the rotation algorithm is (ZXY, LRL).
However, the documentation is not clear and it turns out that all
GSLIB software actually executes the (ZXY, LRR) rotation
algorithm. This appears to be an oversight in GSLIB.
three letters in the brackets, for example ZYX. The first letter
indicates the first rotation axis, the second letter indicates the second
rotation axis and the third letter, the third rotation axis. The second
group of 3 letters, for example LRL indicates the rotation directions.
The first letter indicates either a left L or right R hand rotation
around the first rotation axis. The second letter indicates either a left
L or right R hand rotation around the second rotation axis. The third
letter indicates either a left L or right R hand rotation around the
third rotation axis.
33
4.3.2 Custom Conventions.

Clicking this option button will enable the user to design his own rotation
algorithm with one limitation --- the first rotation must be around the
Z axis. However, the direction may be either left or right as the option
buttons show. The option buttons within the User defined convention
frame are programmed in such a way that the user cannot select an invalid
combination of axes. For example, it is impossible to select a (ZXX)
combination. Note however, that the rotation algorithms (ZXZ) or (ZYZ)
are valid combinations. In fact, if you think about it you will realize that
these rotations are more geologically intuitive than the older more
familiar rotation algorithms. Finally, any combination of left and right
rotation directions may be selected for the three rotations.
4.4 Calculating the Parameters of the Variogram Model.

Figure 11 shows the last screen controlling the variogram modeling
process. Initially, The parameter text boxes will be blank on the screen
shown in Figure 11 except for the Sill, which will be set to 1.0 by
default. Besides Back, Help, and Exit, the user must choose from the
following options:
4.4.1 Letting SAGE2001 Calculate the Variogram Model.
Click on Fit, which will cause SAGE2001 to go to work and calculate the
variogram model parameters. This may take a few minutes, however, the
program will open up and display a progress bar. Note that sometimes the
progress bar will appear to be stalled. However, it will likely continue to
move at some point, so do not click on CANCEL unless you really want
to exit the program. When SAGE2001 has determined the variogram
model parameters, they will be written to the screen in the appropriate
text boxes.
The azimuth and dip (measured in the original data coordinate system) of
the rotated anisotropy axes for each structure are also written to the
screen in the Output Anisotropy Axes frame. The total sum of squared
differences or error SSE is also written to the screen. Note that all this
information is also written to the report files (*.rpt) and plot (*.plt) files
named earlier.
4.4.2 Locking the Nested Structure Rotations.
A click on the Lock Rotations checkbox will provide identical rotation
angles for each nested structure. In other words, the anisotropy axes of
each nested structure will be oriented identically. For example, the
34
Figure 11: The Variogram Model Parameters.

mining software package DATAMINE requires identical rotation angles
for all nested structures. By default, SAGE2001 models each structure
with a unique orientation for the anisotropy axes. This generally enables a
better fit to the sample variogram points since the extra freedom gained
by allowing individual orientations provides more degrees of freedom in
fitting the model to the sample variogram points.
35
4.4.3 Report Formats.

The format controlling how the variogram model will appear in the
various plots and reports can be specified in the Report Formats text
boxes:
C0, C1 Decimals type the number of decimal places
required for the nugget and coefficients C1 and C2.
Range Decimals type the number of decimal places for
the variogram ranges.
Max Lag Distance type the maximum distance for the
separation vector h. This will be the maximum length of the
X axis or h axis for all directional variogram plots. Note that
SAGE2001 will not use or consider any data with a lag
distance larger than Max Lag Distance.
4.4.4 Overriding SAGE2001.
The user may override the calculation of variogram model parameters by
SAGE2001 by typing the model parameter in the appropriate text box(s)
and clicking on the fix checkbox(s) immediately to the right of the text
box(s). If a fix checkbox is checked, SAGE2001 will leave that
parameter intact while it calculates values for any unchecked text boxes.
For example, if the user types the value 0.30 in the Nugget text box,
clicks the adjacent fix checkbox followed by a click on Fit, SAGE2001
will calculate values for the unchecked parameters, but will not change
the Nugget. If the user specifies all of the parameters and checks all the
fix checkboxes and then clicks Fit, SAGE2001 will write the model
parameters to the output files and return the identical values to the screen.
4.4.5 Interactive Variogram Modeling.
After the user has clicked Fit and the variogram model calculations are
complete, SAGE2001 will automatically open a plot window and begin
plotting the directional sample variograms and the model as shown in
Figure 12. Note that the plot window opened by SAGE2001 may occupy
the full computer screen. If this happens, the window showing the
variogram model parameters (the left window in Figure 12) will be
hidden by the plot window. However, the hidden window can be exposed
by resizing the plot window as shown in Figure 12. Simply click and drag
the sides or corners of the plot window to the required size. SAGE2001
will remember the size of the plot window the next time it is opened.
For an explanation of the Plot Window see Section 6.1 and Figures 14
and 15.
36
Figure 12: The Setup for Interactive Variogram Modeling.
SAGE2001 makes it easy for the user to interactively test various

variogram model parameters and model by trial and error. For example,
The right window in Figure 11 enables the user to view the current model
and judge how well it fits the sample variogram points. The user can then
type in new parameters in the appropriate text boxes and click the
corresponding fix check boxes. SAGE2001 will then update all
unchecked parameters and provide a new variogram model with a simple
click on the fit button. Note that the plot window shown on the right side
of Figure 11 must be closed before SAGE2001 will accept user input in
the left window shown in Figure 11.
Viewing the directional variograms corresponding to the anisotropy
axes. The azimuth and dips of the anisotropy axes for each structure of
the model are written to the Variogram Parameter Screen (Figure 11). For
example, the azimuth and dips of the anisotropy axes of the second
structure shown in Figure 11 are:
Rotated X, Azimuth = 60, Dip = 24
Rotated Y, Azimuth = 328, Dip = 4
37
Rotated Z, Azimuth = 228, Dip = 66

The ranges along each of these axes is also provided by SAGE2001
(Figure 11):
Range along rotated X = 329.153
Range along rotated Y = 997.152
Range along rotated Z = 118.810
The directional variogram models corresponding to these directions (or
nearly so) can be viewed simultaneously in the plot window by clicking
on the Select multiple sets option button on the plot window (see Section
6.2.2). Make sure the correct directional variograms are selected. For
example, the correct directional variograms corresponding to the
azimuths and dips given above are:
The directional variogram corresponding to an azimuth of
60 and dip 24 is Azimuth=240, Dip=-30. This is because a
positive dip is upward and a negative dip is downward.
Thus, the direction AZ=240, Dip=-30 is identical to the
direction Az=60, Dip=+30. Since this example does not
provide a variogram plot in the direction Az=60, Dip=+24,
the closest direction is Az=240, Dip=-30.
The closest directional variogram corresponding to the
direction Az=328, Dip=+4 is Az=328, Dip=0.
The closest directional variogram corresponding to the
direction Az=228, Dip=+66 is Az=60, Dip=-60.
38
5.0
VIEWING AND PRINTING REPORTS.
5.1 Opening the Print Report Window.

Click on the Variography Print
Report menu items. SAGE2001 will
open the File Open dialogue box.
Only files with the suffix rpt will be
shown in the File Open dialogue box.
Click on the report file you wish to
open. Then click on the Open button.
SAGE2001
will
respond
by
formatting the report file and opening
the Print Report window.
5.2 The Print Report Window.
Figure 13: The

Print
Report
window.
39
The Print Report window enables the user to view the report on screen
or to print the report. Reports may be printed one page at a time or by all
pages at once.
5.2.1 Viewing the Report on Screen.
To review the report on screen, Click the Windows maximize button in
the extreme upper right corner of the window. This will maximize the
window within your computer screen. To increase the size of the report
page shown in the window, select the magnification factor from the
Zoom drop-down-list-box, or type in the required magnification factor
directly.
A new page can be selected by clicking the tiny arrow heads at each end
of the horizontal slider bar. Clicking the left arrow displays the previous
page in the report while a click on the right arrow head displays the next
page.
5.2.2 Printing the Report.
To print the current page, click the Print Current Page button. To print
the complete report, click the Print all Pages button.
40
6.0
VIEWING AND PRINTING VARIOGRAMS
6.1 Opening the Plot Window.

Click on the Variography Display
Variograms menu items. SAGE2001
will open the File Open dialogue box.
Only files with the suffix plt will be
shown in the File Open dialogue box.
Click on the plot file you wish to open.
Then click the Open button.
SAGE2001 will respond by opening
the Plot window and displaying the
sample variograms.
Figure 14: The variogram plot window.
6.2 The Plot Window.

41
6.2.1
Viewing Sample Variograms
One at a Time.
When SAGE2001 opens the plot
window, the program will immediately
begin to display all of the sample
variograms automatically. It does this by
rotating through all of the directional
sample variograms automatically. This
feature may be turned on and off by
clicking the Auto On and Auto Off
buttons.
When the Auto feature is Off, the
previous or next directional sample
variogram may be manually displayed in
the plot window by clicking the Next or
Previous button.
6.2.2 Viewing Multiple Directions in
One Display.
To view multiple directional sample
variograms simultaneously in one plot ,
click the Select multiple sets option
button. The scrollable list box
immediately below the option button
lists the directional sample variograms
that may be viewed. A maximum of 5
directions may be viewed at one time.
Select the directions by clicking on
them. Then display the directional
variograms in the plot window by
clicking the Graph button.
Figure 15: A blow up of
the Plot controls shown
6.2.3 Display Options.
in Figure 14.
Additional information may be plotted
simultaneously with the directional sample
variograms. For example:
Show Pairs. Click this checkbox to show the number of pairs
associated with each sample variogram point.
Connecting lines. Click this checkbox to connect the sample
variogram points with straight lines.
Variogram Model. Click this checkbox to display the variogram
model in the corresponding direction. Note that if a variogram model
42
has not been fit to the directional sample variograms, this option will
not be available.
6.2.4 Re-scaling the Plot Axes.
The axes of the sample variogram plot may be re-scaled by typing in new
maximums and minimums in the X (lag distance) and Y (variogram
value) text boxes. Note that values for the X and Y tic-intervals must
also be typed in the appropriate text boxes. Click the Apply button to re
draw the plot with the new maximums and minimums.
6.2.5 Printing the Plot.
Click the Print button to print the current display in the Plot window. If
the display contains multiple plots, the various directions will be
displayed using different colors. The printer output will also be colored if
the printer is color capable.
6.2.6 Inserting the Plot into a Report.
The graphics display shown in the Plot window can easily be inserted into
a report document using the Windows clipboard.
Click the Copy button located between the Print and Exit buttons.
This will put a copy of the sample variogram display on the
Windows clipboard.
Open your report document and position the cursor at the location in
the document where you wish to insert the variogram figure.
Press the Ctrl and V keys simultaneously. This will copy the
graphics display from the Windows clipboard to your report. Its that
easy!
NOTE, If the image pasted into your document from the clipboard
appears truncated and some of the text such as axes labels, title etc., are
missing, re-install the printer driver for your default Windows printer.
This may seem totally unrelated, but it will probably fix the problem.
Once you have re-installed the default printer driver, the clipboard image
will copy exactly as it appears on the SAGE2001 screen. This is because
the control used by SAGE2001 to copy the image to the clipboard use the
Windows printer driver. The re-installation of the printer driver with
SAGE2001 loaded on your machine generally resolves any problems
between the driver and SAGE2001.
43
7.0 A WORKING EXAMPLE.

The following sections contain an example using SAGE2001 to calculate
and model sample variograms. The data set is called TEST.TXT and is
included with the program software. You will find this file in the same
directory where SAGE2001 is installed. The data are 3 dimensional and
originate from a mineral deposit. This example is meant to provide an
illustration of how SAGE2001 can be used to calculate and model sample
variograms.
7.1 Importing the Data File.

The original data file TEST.TXT is an ASCII text file that is space
delimited and contains 10 fields of data as shown by the following 5
records:
1
1
1
1
1
DDH-01
DDH-01
DDH-01
DDH-01
DDH-01
6324.4
6324.4
6324.4
6324.4
6324.4
5435.4
5435.4
5435.4
5435.4
5435.4
5995.1
5987.6
5980.1
5972.6
5965.1
317.0
324.5
332.0
339.5
347.0
7.5
7.5
7.5
7.5
7.5
0.744
0.731
0.726
0.830
0.734
20
20
20
20
20
-1.00
-1.00
-1.00
-1.00
-1.00
7.1.1 Adding Column Headers

The first step is to import the file TEST.TXT and add column headers.
To do this click on the Variography Sample Variograms
Import
File drop down menu items as shown in the following Figure
SAGE2001 will respond by opening the standard Windows Open File

Dialogue box. Select the file TEST.TXT and click Open.
SAGE2001 will respond by reading the file TEST.TXT and automatically
open the Import File Grid shown in the next Figure.
44
At the top of the grid, SAGE2001 tells you it is displaying the first 5 rows
of 5,072 data. Note that the grid has been scrolled horizontally so that
columns 5 to 10 are displayed in the figure. Type and/or click the
following buttons:
1. Click on the Use row 6 for column headers option button
in the Column Headers frame.
2. Type the column header Sequence in row 6 column 1.
3. Type the column header BHID for Bore Hole ID in row 6,
column 2. Note that SAGE2001 has automatically classified
this variable as categorical because it contains letters.
4. Type the column header Easting in row 6, column 3.
5. Type the column header Northing in row 6, column 4.
6. Type the column header Elevation in row 6, column 5.
7. Type the column header Depth in row 6, column 6.
8. Type the column header Length in row 6, column 7.
9. Type the column header Copper in row 6, column 8.
10. Type the column header Lithology in row 6, column 9.
Note that all of the lithology codes are numeric. Thus,
SAGE2001 was not able to classify this variable as
categorical. Since lithology should be classified as
categorical, click on the drop down list box in row 7,
column 9 and click categorical. This will classify the
variable lithology as a categorical variable.
11. Type the column header Density in row 6, column 10.
45
7.1.2 Saving the SAG file.

Finally, click the Next button. Windows will respond by opening the
standard Windows Save File Dialogue Box. Type in the file name TEST
and then click on the SAVE button. This will create and save a file called
TEST.SAG in the required SAGE2001 format. Thats all there is to
importing data files.
7.2 Calculating the Sample Variograms.

When the Next button is clicked on the previous Import File Grid
Window, SAGE2001 responded by automatically opening the Select
Variogram Attributes & Constraints Window. However, if you are at
the opening window of SAGE2001 and a sag file already exists on your
hard disk drive, you can open it by clicking on the Variography
Sample Variograms
Open File drop down menu as shown in the
following figure.
SAGE2001 will respond with the standard Open File Dialogue box.
Select the required sag file and click on Open. SAGE2001 will respond
by opening the Select Variogram Attributes & Constraints window.
46
7.2.1 The Select Variogram Attributes & Constraints Window.

This window enables the user to select the variables and constraints to use
in calculating the sample variograms.
Type or click the follow to continue with the example exercise:

1. SAGE2001 automatically selected the Easting, Northing,
and Elevation variables for the X, Y, and Z Coordinate text
boxes, so there are no coordinate variables to select.
2. Click on the drop down menu list for Attribute#1 and select
Copper. This is the variable for which sample variograms
will be calculated. Type 0.0 in the Minimum text box. This
will eliminate all copper values less than 0.0.
Length. Then type 2.0 in the Minimum text box. Length
is a variable representing the length of the diamond drill
core for each copper assay. Thus, by specifying a minimum
of 2.0 and a maximum of 7.5, we eliminate all samples that
are shorter than 2.0 and longer than 7.5 meters.
all lithologies except -1 as shown in the figure above. This
47
will eliminate all samples with a lithologic code of -1 from

the sample variogram calculations.
Note that one could constrain the selection of samples by their X, Y,
and/or Z coordinates.
If you wish to calculate a down-the-hole sample variogram, click on the
Bore Hole ID text box and select the variable BHID. At this time we do
not wish to calculate a down the hole variogram, so for this example, do
not click the Bore Hole ID text box. Finally, click the Next button to go
to the next window. SAGE2001 will respond by closing the Select
Variogram Attributes & Constraints window and open the Calculate
sample variograms directions window.
7.2.2 The Calculate Sample Variograms Directions Window.
This window is used to specify the azimuths, dips, and tolerance
parameters for calculating the sample variograms.
48
Type or click the following to continue with the example variogram

calculations. Use the arrow keys to move around in the grid:
1. Leave the Azimuth and Dip text boxes in the Directional
Increments frame with the values 30 and 30. This will
provide directional sample variograms at 30 degree
increments on azimuth and on dip. Thus, the total number of
sample variograms will be 37. Remember there is only one
directional sample variogram with a dip of 90.
2. Type in a unit distance of 25 in the lag Specs frame.
3. Type in 47 for the Maximum No. of Lags.
4. Set the Horizontal Bandwidth to 16.
5. Set the Vertical Bandwidth to 25
6. Set the Lag tolerance to 0.45 or 45% of the unit lag
distance.
7. Leave the Angular Tolerance at 22.5 degrees.
8. Click on the Customize Azimuth, Dip Angle, and Unit
Distance Values. We do this because we want to change
some of the lag distances for some of the directions.
9. Change all lag distances for the 30 Dip from 25 to 30
meters.
10. Change all lag distances for the 60 Dip from 25 to 20
meters.
11. Change the lag distance for the 90 Dip from 25 to 7.5
meters.
Note that we can also change any of the azimuth or dip angles in the grid
as well as the unit lag distances
Finally, click the Next button to close this window and open the
Calculate sample variogram Finish window.
49
7.2.3 Calculate Sample Variograms Finish Window

This window requires the user to specify a few more parameters for the
calculation of the sample variograms and to provide names for the output
files
Click or type the following to continue with the example variogram

calculations.
1. Type in the title Example Using Test.Sag. This title will
appear on all the report and plot files.
2. Click on the Estimator drop down list box and select (click)
on the correlogram estimator. If the Indicator estimator is
selected, then you must also supply the cutoff or threshold
value defining the indicator in the Cutoff text box.
3. We wish to use 100% of the available samples, so we leave
the % of Samples box at 100. This box can be used to
randomly select a subset of the available samples, e.g., 50%.
4. Next click on the Report button and provide a suitable
name for the report file. These will always have the suffix
rpt, e.g., Test.rpt.
50
5.
Click on the Autofit button and type in the file name Test.
This will create the file Test.pli which is an ascii file that is
used by SAGE2001 to calculate the variogram model.
SAGE2001 only knows how to model pli files. It cannot
model any other type of file. However, note that the file is
ASCII and the format is quite simple. Thus, it is very easy
to calculate sample variograms using other software and
format the output identical to a pli file. Then SAGE2001
can be used to model the sample variograms.
6. Click on the Plot button and type in a name for the plot
files, e.g., Test.plt. Although these files are similar to the
pli files they are slightly different. SAGE2001 uses these
files to plot the sample variograms to the computer screen.
Finally, click on the Finish button to begin the sample variogram
calculations. SAGE2001 will open a progress bar and let the user know
the percentage of the job completed. For this example, the sample
variogram calculations may take something like 2 or 3 minutes assuming
your CPU is at least 200 Megahertz or more.
When SAGE2001 has completed the sample variogram calculations, a
message box will appear with the message Analysis Complete.
Note a small message that also appears on the bottom of the Calculate
Sample Variograms Finish Window. A return code of 0 indicates that
no errors were detected during the calculations. The return message also
indicates the actual number of samples that were used to calculate the
sample variograms. For example , the file TEST.Sag contains 5,072 data
values, but because of the imposed constraints, only 5,047 of these
samples were actually used to calculate the sample variograms.
Click the message box OKAY button and SAGE2001 will respond by
closing the Calculate Sample Variograms Finish window and
opening the Plot window.
51
7.3 Viewing the Sample Variograms.

SAGE2001 automatically opens the Plot window when the OKAY
button on the Analysis Complete message box is clicked. You can also
open the plot window by clicking on the Display Variograms menu item
as shown in the following figure.
Windows will respond by opening a standard Open File Dialogue box

from which you can select a plt file and display the sample variograms
using the Plot Window.
52
7.3.1 The Plot Window.
This is the plot window that SAGE2001 uses to display the sample
variograms and the model if it exists. However, for this exercise we have
not calculated a model yet, so for now, we will use the plot window to
simply view the calculated sample variograms.
Automatic Plot Update. Probably the first thing you will notice is that
SAGE2001 automatically rotates through the sample variograms by
changing the plot every few seconds. To turn off the automatic rotation,
click the Auto Off button. To turn it back on, click the Auto On button.
You can also manually rotate through the sample variogram plots by
clicking on the Previous and Next buttons when Auto rotate is off.
Resizing the Window. The plot window can be resized using the
standard Windows resizing methods.
1. Use the Maximize/Restore button which is the center
button of the three buttons located in the extreme upper
right corner of the window. This is probably the best way to
increase and decrease the plot window size once you have
adjusted the smaller window size to your preference.
53
2.
The plot window size can also be adjusted by dragging the

edges or corners of the window using the mouse.
Show Pairs. Click on the Show Pairs checkbox to show the number of
pairs for each sample variogram point.
Connecting Lines. Click on the Connecting lines checkbox and
SAGE2001 will join all the sample variogram points with straight lines.
Re-scaling the Plot Axes. The axes of the sample variogram plot can be
re-scaled by setting the text boxes in the lower right hand corner of the
plot window:
1. Leave Minimum h = 0 and G(h) = 0.
2. Set Maximum h = 400.
3. Set Maximum G(h) = 1.5
4. Set tic-interval h = 80
5. Set tic interval G(h) = 0.25
This will re-scale the sample variogram plot as shown in the figure above.
Now, as we rotate through the sample variograms, we should be noting
the following:
1. Is the scale of the X-axis (max h=400) of the sample
variogram plot appropriate? SAGE2001 will not use any
sample variogram points at lag distances larger than a
specified maximum lag distance. Thus, it is important to
choose this distance appropriately. For example, if the
specified length is too long, then useless sample variogram
points may be included in the modeling process. This could
have a negative impact on the resultant model parameters.
2. What is an appropriate minimum for the required number of
pairs? View the various directional sample variogram plots
and try to determine a threshold value that will eliminate
spurious sample variogram points near the origin, but will
also retain those points which appear to be critical to the
shape of the variogram model at shorter lag distances near
the origin.
54
7.4 Viewing and Printing the Sample Variogram Report.

The report on the sample variogram calculations is opened by clicking on
the Print Report menu item as shown by the following figure.
Windows will respond by opening the standard Open File Dialogue box.
Select the file test.rpt and click on the Open button. SAGE2001 will
open the Print Report window.
7.4.1 The Print Report Window.
55
View and print the report file Test.rpt as follows:

1. Maximize the window by clicking on the Maximize button
in the extreme upper right hand corner of the window.
2. Select 100% from the Zoom(%) drop down list box. This
will increase the size of the report on the screen so it can be
read.
3. Select or scroll through the pages of the report by either
moving the slider bar or by clicking on the tiny arrow
heads at the ends of the slider bar.
4. Print the current page by clicking on the Print Current
Page button.
5. Print all pages by clicking on the Print all Pages Button.
Finally, close the window by clicking on the Close button.
7.5 Modeling the Sample Variograms.

The sample variogram file required for modeling purposes is opened by
clicking on the Model Variograms menu item as shown in the following
figure.
Windows will respond by opening the Model Sample Variograms

Setup window.
56
7.5.1 The Model Sample Variograms Setup Window.

This window collects the file names and other parameters that will control
the modeling of the sample variograms.
Type or click the following to continue with the example exercise:

1. Click on the Input file Sample Variogram button.
Windows will respond by opening the standard Open File
Dialogue box. Select the file Test.pli and click Open.
2. Similarly, select or name the output files by clicking on the
Plot and Report output file buttons.
3. Type in the title Example Using Test.Sag if it does not
appear in the Analysis Title checkbox.
4. Set the Minimum # pairs to 200
5. Leave the Maximum drift entry at 999999. This is such a
large number that it will have no effect on the selection of
sample variogram points.
6. Select the by pairs Weighting scheme.
7. Select 2 structures.
8. Select the Exp(practical range) Structure Type for each
structure
Now we are ready to go to the next window. Click the Next button.
57
7.5.2
The Model Sample Variograms Rotation Convention
Window.
This window is used to tell SAGE2001 what rotation conventions it
should use to model the sample variograms.
For this exercise, we will use the custom rotation convention ZYZ-RRR:
1. Click on the Custom option button.
2. Click the Y option button for the second rotation axis.
3. Click the Z option button for the Third rotation axis.
4. Leave all the direction buttons Right.
Click the Next button to open the Model Sample Variogram Parameters window.
58
7.5.3 The Model Sample Variogram Parameters Window.

This is the last window requiring input to model the sample variograms.
To continue with the exercise, type in the following:

1. Change the C0, C1 Decimals textbox entry to 3. This will
print the nugget and the C1 and C2 coefficients with 3
decimal places in all reports and plots.
2. Change the Max Lag Distance textbox entry to 400.
SAGE2001 will not use sample variogram points at lag
distances larger than the value specified here. Thus, it is
important to choose this distance appropriately.
59
Click Fit to begin the modeling calculations. SAGE2001 will open a

Progress Bar and report the percentage completed. Note that sometimes
it will appear that the program is stuck in an endless loop because the
progress bar is not moving. Be patient. SAGE2001 is probably not stuck
in an endless loop, but is modeling the sample variograms. Eventually
(within a minute or two), the progress bar will show some sign of activity.
The movement of the progress bar from 0 to 100% can be quite sporadic
and punctuated with relatively long pauses at times
When SAGE2001 has finished calculating the variogram model two
things will happen:
1. The variogram model parameters will be written to the
Model sample variogram Parameters window.
2. SAGE2001 will open a message box with the message
Analysis Complete. Click on the OKAY button to
continue.
SAGE2001 will respond by opening the plot window and rotating
through the directional sample variograms and their models. You should
resize the plot window so you can view both the Plot window and the
Model sample Variogram Parameters window on your computer
screen as shown in the following figure.
60
7.5.4 The Parameters of the Variogram Model.

The following figure shows the Modeling sample variogram
Parameters window after SAGE2001 has finished calculating the model
parameters and written them to the window.
For example, the nugget is 0.1297, and the coefficients C1 and C2 are
0.517, and 0.353 respectively. Note that the sill is 1.00 because we have
used the correlogram which has a theoretical sill of 1.0.
Note that SAGE2001 has calculated the Azimuth and Dip of the
anisotropy axis for each structure. For example, consider the second
structure. The orientation of the anisotropy axes is:
61
1.
2.
3.
The azimuth and dip of the Rotated X axis is 43 and +29

degrees respectively. The closest directional sample
variogram we have to this orientation is Az=240, Dip=-30.
The azimuth and dip of the Rotated Y axis is 314 and -2
variogram we have to this orientation is Az=300, Dip= 0.
The azimuth and dip of the Rotated Z axis is 229 and +62
variogram we have to this orientation is Az=60, Dip=-60.
7.5.5 Interactive Variogram Modeling.

Suppose that after examining the plot window we decide that we do not
like the variogram model provided by SAGE2001. For example, we feel
the nugget is too small. We would prefer a nugget equal to 0.25 rather
than 0.129.
To re-model the sample variograms and force a nugget of 0.25, do the
following:
1. IMPORTANT First, close the plot window!
2. Type the value 0.25 in the Nugget text box.
3. Click the Fix check box next to the nugget textbox. A
checked fix check box will cause SAGE2001 to leave that
parameter intact while it calculates values for any remaining
parameters with unchecked fix check boxes.
4. Click the Fit button. SAGE2001 will calculate a new
variogram model with a nugget of 0.25.
5.
You may check as many of the fix check boxes as you like. Thus, you
have the option of specifying the complete variogram model if you wish.
This provides you with the option of assuming complete control over the
modeling of the sample variograms. Alternatively, you may let
SAGE2001 have complete control over modeling the sample variograms
or some combination whereby you share control over the modeling of the
sample variograms with SAGE2001.
62
7.5.6 The Plot Window.

The plot window can also be used to view several directional sample
variograms simultaneously. For example, the following figure shows the
directional sample variograms and their models corresponding to the
anisotropy axes of the second structure.
To view these directional sample variograms and their models click the
following:
1. Click the Select Multiple Sets option button.
2. Click the directional variogram with Az = 240, Dip = -30
from the list box.
3. Click the directional variogram with Az = 300, Dip = 0
from the list box.
4. Click the directional variogram with Az = 60, Dip = -60
from the list box.
5. Click the Graph button.
SAGE2001 will show the three directional sample variograms and the
model using different colors. The black curve is obviously the major axis
in the above figure, while the blue (triangles) curve is the minor axis.
63
7.5.7 Viewing and Printing The Variogram Model Report

The variogram model report is viewed using the same procedures
described in Section 7.4. The variogram model report should be printed
and retained as a permanent record of the variogram model. The report
contains a complete description of the variogram model parameters and
rotation conventions.
7.5.8 Additional Postscript Output Files.

SAGE2001 also writes two additional postscript files to the working
directory. These files are always called ROSE.PS and GAM.PS. Thus,
they are overwritten each time SAGE2001 is run. Although these files
duplicate the report files discussed earlier, they do provide additional
graphics that may be helpful in visualizing the orientation of the
anisotropy ellipsoids in 3 dimensional space. For example, the following
three figures are examples from the file ROSE.PS.
64
65
66
67

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A Spatial and Geostatistical

General Purpose Software for

License Agreement and Limited Warranty

and will deliver a corrected version of the computer program to Customer

4.2.4 Excluding Sample Variogram points. ................................. 31

The Parameters of the Variogram Model. ........................... 61

SAGE2001 is a Windows 95/98/NT software toolkit designed for:

Hardcopy of all graphic displays can be easily sent to the printer

2.0 GETTING STARTED

2.1 Installing the Demonstration Version of SAGE2001

2.2 Authorizing SAGE2001 for Unlimited Use.

Click on the Variography Unlock menu items as shown below.

SAGE2001 will open the Unlock Form Window as shown below.

Use a pencil or pen to record the Code Entry Number and

2.3 Transferring the SAGE2001 Authorization License

SAGE2001 will ask you to insert a floppy diskette in the

Start SAGE2001 on the donor computer and click the

Put the floppy diskette prepared in Step 3 into the donor

SAGE2001 will copy the license from the diskette to the

3.0 CALCULATING SAMPLE VARIOGRAMS

3.2 Importing Data Files.

Figure1: Clicking items to open the import file dialogue box.

3.2.2 Importing the Data File.

Figure 2: The standard

records to a File Import Grid shown in Figure 3. The number of records

Figure 3: Adding column

3.2.5 Adding Column Headers.

3.3 Opening Existing SAGE2001 Files.

Figure 4: Opening an existing SAGE2001 data file (*.sag).

3.4 Selecting Data Attributes and Constraints.

Figure 5: Selecting variables and constraints for sample variogram

Bore Hole ID. Specifying a proper categorical attribute for Bore

variogram. Down-the-hole sample variograms are calculated in a

3.5 Azimuths, Dips, Lags, and Tolerances.

However, if the user wishes to either specify or modify specific azimuths,

Lag. Type in the required lag tolerance. The tolerance must be

Figure 7: The vertical and

3.5.5 Customizing Azimuths, Dip Angles, and/or Lag Distances.

variogram with an azimuth of 60 degrees and a dip of 45 degrees. Note

Figure 8: The final screen requiring parameters for the calculation of

Standardized Traditional Estimator. The equation of the

where h is the separation vector, Z i is the sample value at location

The Pairwise Relative Estimator.

The Correlogram Estimator.

and the head mean m( + h ) is given by:

and ( h ) is the lag standard deviation of Z i , and ( + h ) is the lag

4.0 MODELING SAMPLE VARIOGRAMS

RX 1 -- the range of the first structure in the direction of the

RY 1 -- the range of the first structure in the direction of the

RZ 1 -- the range of the first structure in the direction of the

AZ 1 -- the rotation angle of the first structure around the Z

AX 1 -- the rotation angle of the first structure around the

AY 1 -- the rotation angle of the first structure around the

10. RX 2 -- the range of the second structure in the direction of

11. RY 2 -- the range of the second structure in the direction of

12. RZ 2 -- the range of the second structure in the direction of

13. AZ 2 -- the rotation angle of the second structure around the

14. AX 2 -- the rotation angle of the second structure around the

15. AY 2 -- the rotation angle of the second structure around the

Rotations are a frequently the source of trouble. Each kriging and

4.2 Setup Parameters

Figure 9: Setting up SAGE2001 for modeling sample variograms.

4.2.1 Input File.