USING IMMERSIVE VISUALIZATION TO CREATE A 3D MODEL OF A ROCK GLACIER FROM GROUND PENETRATING RADAR (GPR) DATA: YANKEE BOY BASIN, CO, USA

Rock glaciers are perplexing and complex. They range from lobate to tongue-shaped forms of jumbles of poorly-sorted, angular to blocky rock debris and ice and serve as primary sinks for ice and water storage in mountainous areas as well as prominent transitional forms in periglacial debris transport systems. Rock glaciers also serve as primary stores for permafrost in mountainous areas. To better understand the physical mechanisms that control the movement dynamics of rock glaciers, higher quality conceptualization is needed to adequately explain how these active layer/permafrost systems respond over long periods. Improved identification of the composition and internal structure of alpine rock glaciers, including characteristics of hydrologic pathways and thickness of the active layer, have been realized through recent assessments with ground penetrating radar (GPR). As with other types of subsurface data, the accuracy and effectiveness of interpretations made from GPR data can be greatly enhanced when synthesized for visualization in multi-dimensions.

Immersive Visualization (IV) generated three-dimensional models which facilitated analysis in an immersive environment. The IV configuration consists of a Silicon Graphics Onyx2 system with SEOS curved rear-projection screen, 3 Barco Galaxy stereo DLP projectors, and IBM OpenDX version 4.3.2 visualization software. The data from the rock glacier were collected using center frequencies of 50 and 100 MHz for grid areas of 200 m² and 600 m², respectively, for the purpose of identifying structure below prominent sets of ridges and furrows located on the lower half of the rock glacier. Maximum depth of penetration was ~ 23 m (at 50 MHz) based on a velocity value of 0.12 m/ns for the rock glacier medium. Results of IV indicate that to a depth of at least 13 meters, compressive folding and associated small-scale thrusting are common. Immersive Visualization is a promising, new approach that provides the opportunity to model a rock glacier in a dynamic state.