Harnessing the power of immersive virtual reality-visualization and analysis of 3D earth science data sets

The availability and quantity of remotely sensed and terrestrial geospatial data sets are on the rise.Historically,these data sets have been analyzed and quarried on 2D desktop computers;however,immersive technologies and specifically immersive virtual reality(iVR)allow for the integration,visualization,analysis,and exploration of these 3D geospatial data sets.iVR can deliver remote and large-scale geospatial data sets to the laboratory,providing embodied experiences of field sites across the earth and beyond.We describe a workflow for the ingestion of geospatial data sets and the development of an iVR workbench,and present the application of these for an experience of Iceland’s Thrihnukar volcano where we:(1)combined satellite imagery with terrain elevation data to create a basic reconstruction of the physical site;(2)used terrestrial LiDAR data to provide a geo-referenced point cloud model of the magmatic-volcanic system,as well as the LiDAR intensity values for the identification of rock types;and(3)used Structure-from-Motion(SfM)to construct a photorealistic point cloud of the inside volcano.The workbench provides tools for the direct manipulation of the georeferenced data sets,including scaling,rotation,and translation,and a suite of geometric measurement tools,including length,area,and volume.Future developments will be inspired by an ongoing user study that formally evaluates the workbench’s mature components in the context of fieldwork and analyses activities.

Where are we now?Re-visiting the Digital Earth through human-centered virtual and augmented reality geovisualization environments

The original Digital Earth concept,formulated by Al Gore(1998),is essentially a virtual reality system.In this(imagined)system,users are able to freely explore all possible recorded knowledge or information about the Earth though an interactive interface.While we imagine such an interface primarily as visual for now,it can be expected that in the future other senses will be engaged,allowing for even more realistic virtual experiences.Even though‘realism’in the experience is desirable(i.e.,it feels real),immersive experiences provided by visualization environments can go beyond reality,as they can be enhanced with queryable information.Of course one can also create fictitious experiences and simulations in such environments;including information about possible pasts(e.g.,ancient Rome)and futures(e.g.,a planned neighborhood);or spaces that we cannot(easily)directly experience(e.g.,the Moon,Mars,other far-away spaces,under the oceans,core of the earth,etc.).