Recent technological breakthroughs afford unprecedented new opportunities for high-resolution, three-dimensional (3D) visualization and mapping of Earth’s surface. This project is aimed at exploiting this technology to develop new field techniques for 3D geologic mapping. Developing these techniques is potentially transformative because conventional techniques based on fixed-scale paper maps were severely handicapped by low resolution issues that are resolved with modern technology. As these techniques develop, geosciences will have unprecedented abilities to resolve 3D geometry of rock bodies and this new ability will open new avenues of research across a spectrum of the geosciences. Basic science applications will ultimately improve understanding of subsurface geologic bodies and this enhanced understanding will have economic impacts in extractive industries (mining and petroleum industries) as well as environmental applications (groundwater modeling, hazards, and shallow subsurface modeling). Finally, 3D visualizations of geologic structures developed in the study will be important new educational resources for the broader geoscience community including the University of Texas El Paso, a tier 1 Hispanic Serving Institution, and will provide cutting edge technology access to those Hispanic students.
Geosciences are in the midst of a revolution brought on by 3D visualization. The development of Structure-from-Motion/Multiview Stereo (SM) models provide unprecedented new opportunities for 3D visualization of Earth’s surface. In particular, there are new opportunities to understand the geometry of geologic bodies by 3D mapping at accuracies unattainable a few years ago. Bedrock geologic mapping has yet to make extensive use of this new technology. This project is an attempt to facilitate the transformation of traditional field-based, map-scale studies to fully 3D mapping methods. High-precision 3D geologic models and their ultimate derivative product - a fully 4D analysis – is only possible when we can routinely produce high resolution 3D maps. This project aims to contribute to this goal by: 1) Developing SM model construction at map scale using a manned aircraft in two settings (desert, arctic) where this technology should be transformative; 2) Conducting live 3D mapping experiments with different software packages, based on regional and local SM models acquired in the desert setting as well as experiment with using unmanned aerials systems (aka drones) as a field tool during 3D field mapping; and 3) Developing a bridge from GIS to the Strabospot database, utilizing our expertise in the open source program QGIS with an objective of providing a streamlined application for incorporation of legacy paper map data into Strabospot aimed at senior researchers who hold most of this archive. These tools will enhance the work of field researchers across the geosciences, and prevent loss of legacy data as researchers retire.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
