A system and method for analysis of 3D deformations and regional function of a heart includes: a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner configured to acquire three tagged volume data series with mutually perpendicular tag lines of a heart； a data storage device in communication with the MRI scanner and configured to store the three tagged volume data series； and an image processing machine in communication with data storage device. The image processing machine is configured to: model an intensity distribution around each voxel of each tagged volume data series as a moving sine wave front with a local frequency and an amplitude； and determine a phase and frequency for each voxel from the local frequency and amplitude and a displacement from a quotient of a phase difference and the local frequency.
