INTEGRATION OF GIS AND GPS INTO BALL STATE UNIVERSITY'S FIELD CAMP

We have added GIS and GPS applications to our summer field course program as a stimulating new component to field work. New technology has its advantages and disadvantages in teaching field techniques which we wish to discuss. Each student was provided with a 650 MHz Pentium III computer operating Windows 98 and Arcview GIS. Materials required for traditional geology field camp assignments such as topographic maps and air photos were digitally converted to or acquired in a geo-referenced format compatible with Arcview GIS. Using the Arc/Info REGISTER command the known UTM coordinates of prominent structures such as water towers, buildings, section line and road intersections, were entered to complete the geo-referencing of the scanned images. Data such as strike and dip, formation contacts and fault characteristics were geo-referenced by students using GPS receivers in the field. These data were also plotted in the field using traditional map location techniques on a field copy of the map with UTM grids added to assist in location. Since the removal of GPS selective availability, altitude readings now assist in locating field position. Instructor written programs were then run by students in the evening to convert their field data into DXF format which could be imported and plotted directly on both the topographic and air photo base maps. The final product allowed the students to click back and forth from topographic maps and air photos to see how their data aligned with strike and dip angles and possible structural trends and to confirm their reading locations on their field maps. The final product could then be printed and taken out the following field day leaving the computer back at camp. Disadvantages include departure from emphasis on traditional pace and compass techniques and learning to locate points in the field directly on topographic maps and air photos. The fact that computers are difficult and expensive to use in the field was also a disadvantage. Advantages include emphasis on new technology which is an interest of employers, abilities to confirm all located points and to click back and forth to look at plotted data on both air photo and topographic maps, possibilities to print maps for the new field day, and write a final report. In addition to Arcview GIS, students also used computers for email and web study in the evenings.