THE VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP: PRESERVING THE OUTCROP WHILE ENHANCING THE LEARNING

The dramatic flood in 2002 on the Guadalupe River in Texas carved a massive gorge below the Canyon Lake dam spillway. The newly exposed section was 200' of the Cretaceous Glen Rose Formation. Spectacular material emerged including a variety of in situ fossils, surfaces of ripple structures, and unusual tracks. This section will not survive in pristine condition for long.

The site now provides us with a unique opportunity to develop a virtual field trip. The Texas Memorial Museum has taken up that challenge as part of its development of virtual educational exhibits for use in the Museum and on the web. With appropriate permissions, the Museum filmed a group of international geologists while they explored the gorge during their field trip, part of the Seventh International Congress on Rudists in June 2005. This ensured that the outcrop could be viewed along with knowledgeable geologists. The student has the chance to see geologists in the field and hear them explain some of the intriguing features.

A series of modules based on the original film pull out geological aspects that are well-displayed in the section. They are enhanced with reference material and connections to the modern world of the student. An excellent geological section has been described by geologist, William Ward, and provides the framework into which the modules fit. The project visually preserves this remarkable exposure for posterity while adding to the available curriculum materials available for the educator.