GENERATING 3D EARTH SCIENCE VISUALIZATIONS FOR THE WEB

We present a method for generating 3D visualizations using QGIS, a free and open source software. A QGIS ‘plugin’ (i.e. software extension) exists to convert Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data to web-ready interactive 3D graphics. Visualizations of land surface elevation, subsurface geology, borehole data, and aquifer potentiometric surfaces are presented. The requisites, limitations and applications of the method are discussed.

Presenting in 3D can be helpful for communicating geoscience information. Interactive 3D visualizations provide insight for professionals and are educational for non-professionals. Technology for generating and sharing 3D information is continuing to develop toward 'user-friendliness', and advances in web browser technology make rendering interactive 3D graphics possible across multiple platforms. However, extensive data processing in GIS may be necessary for visualizations to perform optimally.