A DIGITAL FIELD CAMP: APPLYING EMERGING TECHNOLOGY TO TEACH GEOLOGIC FIELD MAPPING

At Northern Arizona University students in Advanced Geologic Field Methods comb over various sites around Arizona to create geologic maps of the area…nothing new about that. What is new is the sophisticated computers and emerging technology used to create the maps on location. In the past students would generate hand-drawn maps and if they wanted to do spatial and statistical analysis they would have to come back to the lab on campus and transcribe their hand-drawn maps into digital format to create the final map. With the implementation of our field based GIS mapping program they can spend more time in the field learning about geology. Funding from the Environmental Research, Development and Education for a New Economy initiative of Arizona Proposition 301 was used to acquire ruggedized Fujitsu Sylistic pen tablet computers, GPS units and the necessary GIS software tools needed to develop the new digital field mapping techniques. Students use digital orthophotos, real-time GPS and self derived contour base maps to integrate the spatially referenced mapping units into ArcGIS. This data is instanataneously georeferenced which enables the student to perform spatial and statistical analysis of their data in the field. By mapping real-time into a GIS in the field, the students essentially have a near-finished georeferenced digital map product ready for digital analysis or output. The produced mapping coverages, which are small in size, can then be digitally transferred or shared over the Internet among researchers. Even more important than the product students make is the experience they gain. By working with state-of-the-art emerging technology, Northern Arizona University Geology students are better prepared by acquiring high-tech job skills increasingly in demand by employers in the competitive geoscience field.