HARNESSING SIMULATED REALITY TECHNOLOGIES TO ENABLE GEOLOGICAL DISCOVERY

Our effectiveness in discovering the realities of nature is contingent on our ability to accurately and precisely perceive Earth phenomena. Simulated Reality (SR) technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), Geofencing (Gf), and Augmented Reality (AR) when combined, can greatly enhance discovery at outcrop to regional scales by enhancing user perception. Two factors have allowed for realization of the long-standing promise of VR for realistic 3-D landscape rendering in real- or virtual-time: 1) enhanced computing capabilities; and 2) improvements in image and DEM resolution. Geofencing couples VR with location-based services conveyed by satellites, radios, or cellular networks, with digital geospatial databases to inform users regarding characteristics of their surroundings based on their actual geographical position; digital geologic maps can be readily integrated into geofencing applications. AR technology allows us to superimpose computer generated graphics, text and other sensory inputs onto real, e.g., real-time video displays, and virtual views of the Earth. In the office or laboratory, the user can control the geography of the vantage point, and thus more naturally explore the geology of the Earth in 3-D. SR technologies can be particularly beneficial for non-specialists, students, and others who: 1) lack the honed spatial reasoning abilities of a trained geologist; or 2) are unable to visit or lack access to field locations. Applications of SR technologies are demonstrated using examples from the western USA.