eRock: An Open-Access Repository of Virtual Outcrops for Geoscience Education

Abstract

3D is a task that most people, including geologists, find difficult. Geoscience educators and students often find fieldbased exercises the most effective medium for understanding complex geological concepts and visualizing relationships in 3D (e.g., Elkins and Elkins, 2007). Unfortunately, field-based training is not available to everyone. Traditional barriers to this field-based training include physical disabilities, lack of financial resources, and geographical restrictions. Recent advances in data acquisition and processing have the potential to circumvent these traditional barriers to access and open up a vast number of field sites to a diverse range of people.