Bridging the Analog-Digital Divide in Geology

P. Kyle HouseNevada Bureau of Mines and GeologyUniversity of Nevada

Miocene paleogeography by Ron Blakey, NAU

You say you [don’t] want a revolution? Too bad.

• The [geo]sciences are undergoing an incremental technological revolution

– Change more inevitable with each graduating

class

– Heightened expectations of end users

– dogmatic and pragmatic resistance

Improved collaboration, visualization, and dissemination will ultimately enrich our

science tremendously

Geologic Mapping as Example

• Data Collection:

– digital photos, digital ink, gps, LiDAR

• Data Interpretation and Development:

– GIS, virtual globes

• Data distribution:

– Web publication, collaborative GIS, data

sharing

Smart geologic maps can be your friends!Integrated with topographyMultiple layersInteractiveCollaborativeEasily updatableInteroperable / distributable

First-order transition from dumb map to smart map is a huge step

Virtual globes are a giant leap

Middle Owyhee River, OR

Making a smarter map is easy, bro!

Adapx.com

Using analog ink to create digital data…

Livescribe.com

Your field traverses are a rich data source

The uncanny obviousness of geotagging your field photographs

• You are a geologist.• You take pictures of things

because of both what they are and where they are.

• There are simple ways to embed location into photos.

• Start tomorrow.

More on the utter obviousness of geotagging

Check out ‘geosetter’

Geotagged photos made simple by Google

Instant kml karma

Not geotagging your field photos is stupid!

Gigapixel Photography: Made for Geology

Double Spring landslide complex, Owyhee River, OR http://gigapan.org/gigapans/30814/

Just Google: ‘Owyhee Gigapan’!

Essential Tools for Office

Compilation

Wacom Cintiq 21uxWorth every penny.

Digitizing Tablet: goodDigitizing LCD Panel: amazing

You can’t sign your name with a computer mouse.What makes you think you can map with one?

Visualization and Compilation with Virtual Globes

The best reason for a second monitor, or one really big one

A little LiDAR can help…

Double Spring landslide complex, Owyhee River, OR

Sure a hillshade is good, but holy cr@p this is cool:

Walker River narrows near Schurz, NV

geoWeb 2.0: Collaborative mapping

• Geology thrives on collaboration

• Attachments and e-mail threads are

inefficient

• Geologists are widely dispersed

• Huge research, teaching, and outreach

potential

• Meets rising tide of expectations

Simple Online collaborative mapping: Google’s ‘My Maps’

Nevada Digital Dirt Mapping Project: Phase 1

Compiled 100k Lines Unified Map…first cut

Geologic Data Portals…they already exist

http://geologicfroth.wordpress.com/

http://geofroth.posterous.com/

There’s more on

the internets!