HR: 08:45h
AN: ED11A-04    [Abstracts]
TI: Familiarity of Alpine magnitude and geometry as a critical pedagogic element in student visualisation of basin- & crustal-scale sub-surface structure
AU: * Edwards, M A
EM: michael.edwards@univie.ac.at
AF: Structural Processes Group, Dept. of Geological Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, Vienna, A-1090 Austria
AB: A geoscience education stumbling block that typically re-currs throughout the early years of student progress is bringing three dimensional spatial scales of Earth's features in perspective. This far more so than temporal scales; the concept of geological timescale is normally quickly adopted into a students perception. Providing a sense of proportion for three dimensional objects is two fold: the first, the actual "thinking in 3D" while often depicting in 2D (e.g. seismic moment "beachballs", stereonets, cross-sections, atmospheric circulation cells) has been dramatically assisted by accelerated graphics imaging software. The second, proportion across all scales, is subtle yet crucial and not necessarily better-conveyed to students exclusively via computer-assisted learning. My experiences teaching students from a range of geographical backgrounds strongly indicates a much firmer grasp overall, by students from Alpine regions, of magnitudes and scales of crustal features. The intensity of topography in these regions, where cablecar and steep walking are the primary accesses, is a unique opportunity to illustrate the km-scale of structures in 3D, a lesson far beyond one of simply illustrating the appearance of typical rocks "in the great outdoors" and very tricky to convery through "virtual" field trips alone. Examples include; 1. the embodiment of a shallow seismic reflection profile to a several hundrend metre cliff of intercalated (i.e. switching impedance contrast) turbidites whose km-long overthrust line is traceable along a valley floor far below. 2. the weight of the thrust pile underfoot and corresponding amounts of lithosphere bending and foreland basin growth - a perspective often lost with beam engineering-only approaches. 3. fluid-volumes: intensely solution-strained &/or vein-bearing masses can be estimated for volume percentage and total cubic amount across a mountain region. 4. instantaneous river bedload versus yearly versus m.y. total volumes. Such 3D realism is crucial is subsurface modelling of hydrocarbon/water/waste potentials.
DE: 8194 Instruments and techniques
DE: 8110 Continental tectonics--general (0905)
DE: 8160 Rheology--general
DE: 0825 Teaching methods
DE: 0845 Instructional tools
SC: Education and Human Resourcese [ED]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting