INTEGRATING GEOCHRONOLOGY AND HIGH-RESOLUTION SPATIAL DATA INTO VENTIFACT EDUCATION

Ventifacts are rock formations sculpted by the abrasive action of wind-driven sand in arid environments. We can use ventifacts to infer historic and prehistoric wind patterns, past climate conditions, and wind erosion processes. They also function as analogs for studying planetary geology, thereby contributing to our broader understanding of landscape evolution and environmental change. In this study, we produce digital photorealistic renderings and handheld 3-D models of Californian ventifacts. The erosional features of these models will be compared with erosion rates estimated using infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL). In conjunction with the models, we plan to integrate these rates into an interactive video presentation tailored to K-12 classrooms.

In January of this year, we collected ventifact samples from two desert locations in southern California: Garnet Hill, nestled in the Coachella Valley north of Palm Springs, and Silver Lake, north of Baker. The collection is comprised of 10 ventifacts, four from Silver Lake and six from Garnet Hill. From each ventifact, we collected ten bedrock samples for luminescence dating.

To generate accurate models with sub-millimeter resolution, Agisoft Metashape software was used to spatially locate common pixels between images and generate a dense 3-D point cloud. These 10 digital models were then converted into a suitable format for 3-D printing at the UTA FabLab, a center focused on student outreach and hands-on fabrication skills. We plan to make these STL files easily accessible to the public by submitting them to the State Education Resource Center (SERC) for inclusion on the Teaching with Augmented and Virtual Reality (TAVR) website in Fall 2024. Furthermore, as many as 50 ventifact models will be 3-D printed for distribution to classrooms lacking access to such resources.