Everything about QGIS
In the QGIS Boreholes course, you will learn how to effectively import, manage, analyze, and visualize borehole data in QGIS. You will work with commonly used plugins for borehole and subsurface data to visualize information such as borehole locations, lithology, depth intervals, groundwater levels, and measurement values.
Would you like to learn how to analyze borehole data and make it meaningful using geographic data, without having to program? In the QGIS Boreholes course, you’ll learn how to work independently with boreholes and subsurface data in QGIS for analysis, interpretation, and visualization. You’ll discover how to analyze borehole data both spatially and in depth for applications such as exploration, environmental analysis, geotechnical engineering, and hydrogeology.
QGIS is a powerful open-source GIS platform for analyzing and visualizing geographic data. In this course, you’ll build on your QGIS fundamentals and learn to work with specialized and up-to-date plugins for borehole data, including the Drillholes plugin (the most recent and widely used QGIS plugin for borehole visualization). You will learn how to convert drillhole collars, depth intervals, and measurement values into usable GIS layers.
Borehole analysis in QGIS goes beyond simply displaying point locations on a map. You will learn how to structure borehole data based on depth, how to analyze lithology, mineral content, contamination, or groundwater levels, and how to identify patterns in the subsurface. In doing so, you will combine data analysis with cartographic visualization to gain a better understanding of what lies below ground level.
In QGIS Boreholes, you integrate borehole data directly into your daily GIS workflow. Whether you work in mining and exploration, geotechnical engineering, environmental research, groundwater studies, or infrastructure projects—this course shows you how to use borehole data practically and effectively within QGIS, completely without code.
You’ll work with open-source software, follow a hands-on approach, and develop skills that are immediately applicable in real-world geo-projects. Technically substantive, yet clearly explained and focused on both understanding and application.
Please note! Prior knowledge of QGIS is required for this course. We recommend the QGIS Basic Training for this purpose.
In this course, you’ll learn step-by-step how to use and analyze borehole data in QGIS. You’ll start with the basics: what borehole data is, how borehole databases are structured, and what data is typically recorded at each depth.
Next, you’ll get hands-on experience with:
Through clear explanations and hands-on exercises, you will learn how to correctly interpret borehole data and use it for analysis and reporting.
This course makes borehole analysis accessible to GIS users. While borehole visualization is often done in specialized or expensive software, this course shows that you can work professionally right away using QGIS and modern plugins.
You will learn, among other things:
The course is designed for independent and practical learning, with a strong focus on real-world applicability.
This course is intended for GIS users who work with borehole and subsurface data. Do you work in mining, mineral exploration, oil & gas, geotechnical engineering, hydrogeology, environmental research, agriculture, infrastructure, or CCS projects? Then this course offers direct added value.
You do not need programming knowledge, but you do need a basic understanding of QGIS. Do you already have experience with geographic data and want to better understand what happens below ground level? Then QGIS Boreholes is a logical next step to gain in-depth insight into the subsurface using GIS.
On Day 1, you’ll lay a solid foundation for working with borehole data in QGIS. You’ll learn exactly what borehole data is, how it’s structured, and how to properly prepare it for use in a GIS environment. The focus will be on understanding borehole collars, depth intervals, and associated attributes.
You’ll get hands-on experience importing and managing borehole data in QGIS. You’ll learn how to visualize borehole locations, how to link tables containing depth information, and how to convert borehole data into usable GIS layers. You will also be introduced to the Drillholes plugin, which displays boreholes and depth information in a structured and clear manner.
By the end of Day 1, you will be able to:
Day 1 focuses on understanding, setting up, and gaining visual insight into borehole data within QGIS.
On Day 2, you’ll take it a step further and learn how to analyze and interpret borehole data. The focus shifts from individual boreholes to the relationships and patterns within the subsurface. You’ll learn how to use borehole data to understand cross-sections, profiles, and subsurface structures.
You’ll work with depth-dependent analyses, thematic visualizations, and combinations with other GIS data such as soil maps, geology, infrastructure, or monitoring networks. Using QGIS and the Drillholes plugin, you’ll create borehole profiles and simple 3D representations of the subsurface, suitable for analysis and reporting.
By the end of Day 2, you’ll be able to:
Day 2 focuses on the interpretation, analysis, and practical application of borehole data within realistic GIS workflows.
Do you have questions about the course content? Or are you unsure whether the course aligns with your learning goals or preferences? Would you prefer an in-house or private course? We’d be happy to help.
In this course, you will work with several specialized QGIS plugins for borehole and subsurface data. The most important one is the Drillholes plugin for managing and visualizing borehole collars, depth intervals, and profiles. You will also use plugins such as DataPlotly (for depth profiles and graphs), QGIS 3D Map View (for simple 3D subsurface visualization), and Profile Tool for creating cross-sections based on borehole data and other layers.
Yes. In this course, you’ll learn how to import borehole data from Excel, CSV files, and geodatabases and structure it correctly for use with plugins such as Drillholes. You’ll learn how to link tables containing depth intervals to borehole locations and how QGIS plugins use this data for analysis and visualization.
Absolutely. The plugins used (such as Drillholes, DataPlotly, and Profile Tool) are versatile and can be applied to various types of borehole data, including lithology, contamination, mineral content, and groundwater levels. In the course, you’ll learn how to use these plugins across different fields, without the workflow being limited to a single specific sector.
Yes. You will learn how to use the Drillholes plugin and the QGIS 3D Map View to visualize borehole data in profiles and simple 3D subsurface visualizations. For additional analysis, you will use the Profile Tool and DataPlotly to further analyze depth information and measurement values and present them in a clear way for reporting and decision-making.
Yes, a solid foundation in QGIS is required. If you don’t have this yet, we recommend the QGIS basics course.
