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

传统的野外地质工作包括研究物理景观中岩石的露头。尽管最近许多人接受实地技能是纳入的障碍，传统的实地工作仍然被认为是地质学教育和理解的重要组成部分，对学生、专业人员和研究人员来说。然而，现实世界中的实地工作可以是：对于那些在偏远或偏远地区承担照顾责任的人来说，这些地方需要大量的旅行，并且不平等地使参与者面临风险，虚拟露头或实地工作应该能够克服这些障碍，但目前的虚拟露头无法复制真实的实地体验。并且不能充分利用数字环境，因为它们要么是被动视频，要么是单个360度图像，要么是学生可以在其中移动的低分辨率3D现场区域。这些方法的问题是，虽然大体结构是可见的，但它们缺乏地质野外工作所必需的多尺度经验，因为可以进行缩放，但受原始分辨率的限制。该项目将为实地学习开发一个真正的多尺度数字景观。多张重叠的照片可以变成地质露头的3D版本。通过创建不同尺度的多个版本，将有可能创建一个单一的数字3D露头，允许无缝缩放到岩石表面，从而可以识别岩石类型。与高质量的教材相结合，这些露头可以让任何人从全球各地的露头体验现实的实地工作。

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.