USING VIRTUAL OUTCROP AND VIRTUAL SAMPLES WITH ON-CAMPUS GEOSCAPING TO PROVIDE NONTRADITIONAL FIELD EXPERIENCES

Virtual explorations can include virtual 3D models of “virtual” geologic material and 3D models of actual outcrops intended to simulate an actual road-cut experience, possibly integrated with Google Earth. These explorations can also include high resolution gigapixel imagery, such as the GigaPan system.

The current work integrates these virtual explorations with actual geologic materials placed as components within a campus hardscape for students to access as field measurement and observation opportunities that simulate authentic outcrop experiences. This presenter has successfully partnered with campus landscaping efforts to include geoscience considerations in the selection of hardscape materials and their placement and incorporation into as many landscaping and construction projects in and around campus as possible. This effort is sometimes referred to as “geoscaping”, and presented will be some of the details surrounding how campus entities are convinced to support the geoscaping concept for the sake of the educational opportunities it will provide. Geoscape materials are selected to represent local geology with the criteria for selection including lithology, presence of sedimentary structures, and a size large enough for students to make strike and dip measurements. Further, the geoscape material is placed strategically to replicate the distribution of outcrops that might be associated with predefined geologic structures, such as a plunging anticline, for example. A major case presented will be the application of virtual samples for students to explore in advance coupled with the placement of on-campus geoscape materials representing outcrops. The geoscape application’s outcome is teaching how to construct geologic maps from field measurements and improve students’ ability to interpret structures while in the field and on printed geologic maps. The specific case presented is one in which a student group was given classical instruction in geologic map creation and interpretation in a laboratory setting without any opportunity for field measurements and a second group was afforded the opportunity for quick excursions on campus to the geoscape locations to actually see geologic material with specific strikes and dips that could be measured, mapped, and interpreted.