High resolution 3D virtual geological outcrops, increasing accessibility to geological field skills

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Traditional geological fieldwork involves studying outcrops of rock in physical landscapes. Despite recent acceptance by many that field skills are a barrier to inclusion traditional fieldwork remains recognised as an important part of geological education and understanding, for students, professionals, and researchers.However, fieldwork in the real world can be: impossible or difficult for many with disabilities (physical, mental and emotional) inaccessible or impractical for those with caring responsibilities in isolated or remote locations that demand substantial travel and unequally exposes participants to risk expensiveVirtual outcrops or field work should be able to overcome these barriers, but current virtual outcrops fail to replicate an authentic field experience, and do not take full advantage of a digital environment because they are either a passive video, a single 360 degree image, or a low-resolution 3D field area that the student can move around in. The problem with these is that although gross structure is visible, they lack the multi-scale experience essential to geological field work as zooming is possible but limited by the resolution of the original.This project will pilot the development of a true multi-scale digital landscape for field learning. Multiple overlapping photographs can be turned into a 3D version of a geological outcrop. By creating multiple versions of these at different scales it will be possible to create a single digital 3D outcrop that allows seamless zooming right into the rock face so the rock type can be identified. Integrated with high quality teaching material these outcrops can allow anyone to experience realistic fieldwork from outcrops all over the globe.