USING GIS, VIRTUAL TERRAIN MODELS, AND LIDAR TO AUGMENT TRADITIONAL FIELD EXERCISES AND ENCOURAGE SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATION

The W.M. Keck Center for Active Visualization in the Earth Sciences (KeckCAVES) is a collaboration between computer and earth scientists at UC Davis that is developing data visualization techniques and applying them to diverse geologic and geophysical data. For visual analysis of digital topographic data the group has produced two tools: Crusta, a virtual globe that enables remote geologic mapping, and LiDAR Viewer, which supports visualization of LiDAR point clouds and extraction of orientation measurements. Both applications have been utilized for numerous research projects but their value as teaching tools has hereto been largely unexplored.

To investigate this question, we introduced Crusta and LiDAR Viewer into the curriculum of the year-long structural geology and introductory mapping series at UC Davis. In the middle of this series, the students completed a three-day traditional pen and paper field mapping exercise at Rainbow Basin in the Mojave Desert, CA. Later, we asked the students to revisit this same area virtually for a final project using ArcGIS, Crusta, and LiDAR Viewer. For the exercise we provided digital elevation models, air photos, and a LiDAR point cloud of Rainbow Basin and the surrounding region and then asked students to digitize their original field maps, remap a larger area using Crusta and LiDAR Viewer, and compile all observations in ArcGIS. The remote methods allowed the students to quickly explore the region surrounding the original field area and interpret the regional tectonic context by synthesizing their field observations with those made using the virtual analysis. Finally, we asked students to develop a research question of their own and begin answering it using at least one of the new tools we introduced. The objectives of the lesson were to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of field-based and remote methods, expose students to cutting edge research tools, improve their three-dimensional visualization skills, and introduce them to exploratory research. Student feedback was largely positive and suggested they found it rewarding to use new software and develop and explore their own research questions. With the success of this lesson, we plan to increase the use of these tools in subsequent years.