Live From the Metaverse! An Introduction to Geological Mapping in Immersive Virtual Reality

Geological mapping is a cognitively daunting task. In part because field geology is a discipline that largely deals with the invisible. It is through geological mapping that geologists reveal the invisible geology hidden beneath the Earth's surface, as well as the invisible geology that once lay above ground and has been lost to erosion. The geological map lies precisely at the intersection between these two invisible worlds. It is also challenging because it requires advanced 3D thinking skills. Yet, the benefits of learning geological mapping are invaluable for the development of communication skills, critical thinking, resilience, and leadership. Geological mapping also compels students to embrace and navigate uncertainties through iterative hypothesis testing.
However, preparing and delivering high-quality field courses is expensive in terms of time and resources. On the students' side, accessing these courses is a growing challenge, as many of them face clashes with other curriculum commitments, part-time jobs, caregiving responsibilities, or financial constraints. Virtual Reality (VR) is emerging as a transformative technology to teach and learn about our natural world, enhance field experiences, and mitigate accessibility issues.
VR liberates teachers and learners from the tyranny of 2D devices in which our natural world is reduced to planar images. Broadcasting from the metaverse into a Zoom session, I will demonstrate how geological mapping can be effectively learned in VR. The virtual world I'll show replicates the landscape in central NSW, Australia, where our undergraduate students are introduced to geological mapping. At a 1:1 scale, this virtual world features a high-resolution satellite image draped over a lidar DEM (resolution 5 m). Georeferenced to a local magnetic field parallel to the natural prototype, students use a virtual GPS handset to locate themselves and a virtual geological compass to measure structural features. Other virtual tools include field notebooks, geological hammers, and digital cameras to collect geological data and conduct geological mapping. Photogrammetric models of actual outcrops and high-resolution photographs of fossils and microstructures are positioned accurately, providing students with realistic field-like encounters. The immersive experience is enhanced by 3D models of trees, bushes, shimmering waterways, a volumetric soundscape mimicking the real environment, realistic weather conditions, and time-dependent sunlight.
Once immersed in this virtual yet realistic environment, students experience field geology in a manner relatively close to reality. Important missing ingredients include physical and mental fatigue, as well as the anxiety triggered by potential risks such as getting lost, injuries, bee stings, snake bites, etc. Nevertheless, VR offers a very effective way to prepare students for geological mapping, its principles, and workflows. For students returning from the field, it also offers the possibility to revisit some outcrops or check outcrops they may have missed while in the field. Importantly, for students unable to attend field courses, VR offers an invaluable opportunity to grasp the essence of geological mapping principles, bridging the accessibility gap for a diverse student population.