COMPILING DISPERSED GEOLOGIC KNOWLEDGE FOR EASE OF ACCESS AND MAINTENANCE

Knowledge about the location and attributes of geologic features local to the Stephenville, Texas area is dispersed across individuals, field guides, and research, rendering it difficult to access quickly. Via field study, the essentials of this information were verified, data regarding the safety and accessibility of these sites were gathered, and the resulting information was compiled into a singular digital map. Over twenty remaining sites were identified and mapped within the area of study; one site from among these, selected due to its good condition, was used to create a virtual field trip.

Natural and human forces had destroyed or altered some previously identified geologic features or created new features, and access to some sites had also changed or been limited. Prior data gathered about these sites were often not reflected in the sites as they now exist. Data regarding their safety and accessibility had largely not been recorded.

These deficiencies diminished the suitability of many of these sites as resources for field study. Data regarding these features required maintenance to remain usable, due to alteration or destruction by human and natural processes. The process of maintenance was impaired by the dispersal of this data across many disparate sources. Furthermore, the destruction of some of these sites before their data could be fully preserved resulted in the permanent loss of that data.

Hosting data about geologic features in a centralized digital format facilitates the ease of access and maintenance necessary to preserve it. The use of mapping technology in conjunction with techniques such as virtual field trips can enable the study of sites even if they are destroyed.