SHOWCASING THE “PHYSICAL” IN GEOLOGY THROUGH INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES

Investment in geoscience and other STEM fields comes in a variety of forms, e.g. funding for K-12 schools, higher education, research laboratories, geological surveys, and educational institutions. It also comes in the form of the excitement and interest that drives the next generation of scientists to enter the field, maintaining interest and understanding among policy makers, as well as a scientifically literate public capable of critically evaluating crucial science information on policy. Maintaining the interest of these very diverse stakeholders, the public, legislators, and students of all ages, is crucial to sustaining growth in the geosciences as well as safe and sustainable ways for natural resource utilization.

For audiences of all ages and backgrounds experimental hands-on outreach experiences generate more interest and engagement than purely visual ones. The physical and tactile nature of geological sciences is particularly well-suited to creating these types of interactive encounters. We present four examples of interactive outreach generated by NETL scientists: the CO₂ Capture Dry Ice Demo, a Geology Kit created for K-12 outreach events, a Comparative Porosity-Permeability Tank, and a portable Interactive Core Viewer.

The CO₂ Capture Dry Ice Demo captures kids’ interest and imagination with the physics of sublimation, allowing them to interact with CO₂-filled soap bubbles and balloons. The Geology Kit relies on incorporating a wide variety of colors, textures, weights, and behaviors amongst the samples, as well as simple and safe chemical reactions. The Comparative Porosity and Permeability Tank generates understanding of subsurface reservoir and sealing rocks through haptic feedback as air is forced through different rocks. Finally, the Core Viewer is a new interactive tool showcasing non-destructive characterization of subsurface rocks made possible with Computed Tomography, where users can interact with physical samples as well as the CT images of their interior structure.

The hands-on nature of the activities makes them inclusive and accessible to a wide audience base. Tactile aspects bring engagement even to vision impaired individuals and the interactive nature allows participation by everyone, irrespective of age or educational level.