The Geowall at AGU 2003

What is this?

Images and abstracts listed below are from the Fall 2003 meeting of the American Geophysical Union, held annually in San Francisco, CA. The info listed here comes from a session entitled 'The GeoWall in the Earth Sciences Classroom' run by Andy Johnson (UIC), Paul Morin (U Minn) and Peter van Keken (U Mich).

The Audience

Introduction: The State of the GeoWall

Authors:
Morin, P J (lpaul@umn.edu)
Leigh, J (spiff@evl.uic.edu)
van Keken, P (keken@umich.edu)
Johnson, A (ajohnson@evl.uic.edu)

Abstract:
The GeoWall stereo projection technology has been widely adopted within Earth Science. Over 20,000 undergraduate students per year use a GeoWall in classroom and lab settings at over 80 institutions around the world using over 200 GeoWalls. We believe that critical mass for this technology has been reached in the Earth Science. Many collaborations have been initiated. With Iris, GeoWall is exploring new ways to monitor seismic networks in real-time and to visualize extremely large, whole Earth seismic simulations. We are also working with a number of drilling organizations including JOI, DOSECC and LacCore to bring modern visualization technology to core interpretation and drill site selection. Also, over 15 museums now have or are building GeoWalls for informal education. Much of the science that is being performed on the GeoWall is finding its way directly into the classroom and science museum. One of the success stories has been the GeoWall Consortium's interaction with industry. The basic hardware for the GeoWall has been spun off to companies that now sell variations of the hardware. In addition, many software companies including ESRI and Dynamic Graphics have added support for the GeoWall in their products. The future of GeoWall is four fold. Curriculum development will bring more material to all GeoWall users. Assessment of the curriculum and educational psychology will give us GeoWall best practices. In technology development, the GeoWall 2 is a 20+ million pixel, tiled display which brings more resolution to the Earth Sciences than ever. To support research the consortium is developing a volume rendering application to visualize extremely large datasets.

ENHANCEMENT OF SPATIAL UNDERSTANDING IN AN INTRODUCTORY FIELD METHODS PROJECT THROUGH A GEOWALL INTERVENTION

Authors:
Riggs, N R (nancy.riggs@nau.edu)
Kelly, M M (design@mmkaa.com)

Abstract:
The implementation of the GeoWall (www.geowall.org) in introductory geology labs as a visualization tool is on the increase at the undergraduate level. We report on a new project that examines how introductory field students' understanding of basic mapping skills may change after a GeoWall intervention. GLG 240 is a required field methods course for students majoring in Geology at Northern Arizona University. In this class, students learn to describe different kinds of rocks, self locate on a topographic map, use a Brunton compass, and map relatively simple geologic structures. The class is a prerequisite to upper-division classes (mineralogy, petrology, structure, etc) and is open to any student who has completed physical and historical geology. In the Fall semester 2003, we will implement the GeoWall 3D visualization technology in critical sections of GLG 240 dealing with students' perception of terrain and geologic relations. In this study we examine one of these GeoWall interventions that centers on a field exercise done on SP Crater, a young cinder cone and flow north of Flagstaff, Arizona. The goals of the exercise are an increase in student confidence in self location, a sense of how scale varies between different media (aerial photographs, topographic sheets) and distance on the ground, and an ability to follow and map contacts between Paleozoic bedrock, old and young volcanic rocks, and alluvium. This exercise has been relatively unchanged with the same instructor over the last five years. Assessment of student learning has also remained steady: rubrics were established early and applied to a student written report comprising maps, figures, and written geologic analysis. The GeoWall intervention will occur during a pre-field exercise that occurs in the laboratory. Students map contacts and describe the geologic setting of SP Crater using black and white, stereo, 1:25000 aerial photographs and mylar overlays. The intervention adds to this instruction by requiring the students to individually use a stereo 3D visualization of SP Crater rendered with the commercially available ROMA software in the GeoWall. The intervention includes an assessment instrument delivered inside the GeoWall that requires students to "fly" to various predetermined points of interest and describe the geologic setting at those points using well-defined rules. The lab exercise is followed by a day-long field trip to SP Crater, where the students complete a field mapping day. Additionally, we will make the GeoWall available to students during the report-writing phase of this exercise in the following week. We will analyze previous student spatial performance as measured by previous written reports over the last five years, and compare them with this group. Additionally we will report on qualitative measures of students' interest and motivation in field geology and perceptions of the usefulness of spatial technology in their learning and future careers in geology.

GeoWall Experiences in K-12 Education

Author:
Johnson, A E (ajohnson@uic.edu)

Abstract:
Since the mid 1990s the Electronic Visualization Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Chicago has been investigating how advanced visualization technology such as CAVEs, ImmersaDesks, PCs, and plasma panels can be used effectively in K-12 education. The creation of the GeoWall has given us more flexibility in deploying these technologies, and conducting these investigations outside the laboratory. Over the two years we have been using GeoWalls in a variety of educational settings around the Chicago area. Since the Fall of 2002, the SciTech Museum in Aurora, IL has used a GeoWall to show a variety of educational content. In February 2002 the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, IL set up a GeoWall to show 'Virtual Harlem' which allowed museum patrons to walk the streets of Harlem NY in the 1930s to learn about the place and the people. Since 1999 we have been working with Abraham Lincoln Elementary School in Oak Park, IL using a variety of display devices to teach the scientific method and investigate the use of multiple perspectives in learning. We began using a GeoWall there in the spring of 2002 and in the spring of 2003 we expanded our work in Oak Park to include Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School.

Visualizations and Mental Models - The Educational Implications of GEOWALL

Authors:
Rapp, D (rappx009@umn.edu)
Kendeou, P

Abstract:
Work in the earth sciences has outlined many of the faulty beliefs that students possess concerning particular geological systems and processes. Evidence from educational and cognitive psychology has demonstrated that students often have difficulty overcoming their naÜve beliefs about science. Prior knowledge is often remarkably resistant to change, particularly when students' existing mental models for geological principles may be faulty or inaccurate. Figuring out how to help students revise their mental models to include appropriate information is a major challenge. Up until this point, research has tended to focus on whether 2-dimensional computer visualizations are useful tools for helping students develop scientifically correct models. Research suggests that when students are given the opportunity to use dynamic computer-based visualizations, they are more likely to recall the learned information, and are more likely to transfer that knowledge to novel settings. Unfortunately, 2-dimensional visualization systems are often inadequate representations of the material that educators would like students to learn. For example, a 2-dimensional image of the Earth's surface does not adequately convey particular features that are critical for visualizing the geological environment. This may limit the models that students can construct following these visualizations. GEOWALL is a stereo projection system that has attempted to address this issue. It can display multidimensional static geologic images and dynamic geologic animations in a 3-dimensional format. Our current research examines whether multidimensional visualization systems such as GEOWALL may facilitate learning by helping students to develop more complex mental models. This talk will address some of the cognitive issues that influence the construction of mental models, and the difficulty of updating existing mental models. We will also discuss our current work that seeks to examine whether GEOWALL is an effective tool for helping students to learn geological information (and potentially restructure their naÜve conceptions of geologic principles).

Using Geowall to Promote Undergraduate Research

Authors:
SCEC EIT Intern Team (perry@usc.edu)
Perry, S (perry@usc.edu)
Jordan, T (tjordan@usc.edu)

Abstract:
The principal use of our Geowall system is to showcase the 3-D visualizations created by SCEC/EITR (Southern California Earthquake Center/Earthquake Information Technology Research) interns. These visualizations, called LA3D, are devised to educate the public, assist researchers, inspire students, and attract new interns. With the design criteria that LA3D code must be object-oriented and open-source, and that all datasets should be in internet-accessible databases, our interns have made interactive visualizations of southern California's earthquakes, faults, landforms, and other topographic features, that allow unlimited additions of new datasets and map objects. The interns built our Geowall system, and made a unique contribution to the Geowall consortium when they devised a simple way to use Java3D to create and send images to Geowall's projectors. The EIT interns are enormously proud of their accomplishments, and for most, working on LA3D has been the high point of their college careers. Their efforts have become central to testbed development of the system level science that SCEC is orchestrating in its Community Modeling Environment. In addition, SCEC's Communication, Education and Outreach Program uses LA3D on Geowall to communicate concepts about earthquakes and earthquake processes. Then, projecting LA3D on Geowall, it becomes easy to impress students from elementary to high school ages with what can be accomplished if they keep learning math and science. Finally, we bring Geowall to undergraduate research symposia and career-day open houses, to project LA3D and attract additional students to our intern program, which to date has united students in computer science, engineering, geoscience, mathematics, communication, pre-law, and cinema. (Note: distribution copies of LA3D will be available in early 2004.) The Southern California Earthquake Center Earthquake Information Technology Intern Team on this project: Adam Bongarzone, Hunter Francoeur, Lindsay Gordon, Nitin Gupta, Vipin Gupta, Jeff Hoeft, Shalini Jhatakia, Leonard Jimenez, Gideon Juve, Douglas Lam, Jed Link, Gavin Locke, Deepak Mehtani, Bill Paetzke, Nick Palmer, Brandee Pierce, Ryan Prose, Nitin Sharma, Ghunghroo Sinha, Jeremie Smith, Brandon Teel, Robert Weekly, Channing Wong, Jeremy Zechar.

Effectiveness of Geowall Technology in Conceptualizing the Earth-Moon System

Authors:
Turner, N E (neturner@utep.edu)
Lopez, R E (relopez@utep.edu)
Hamed, K M kastro@utep.edu

Abstract:
One persistent difficulty many students of earth and planetary science face is the lack of 3-dimensional mental model of the Earth-Moon system. Students without such a mental model can have a very hard time conceptualizing the geometric relationships that cause the cycle of lunar phases. We present results from a study using a 3-D Geowall with a simulated sunlit Earth-Moon system on undergraduate students' ability to understand the origins of lunar phases. We test three groups of students: some with traditional in-class instruction, some with a laboratory exercise using the Geowall Earth-Moon simulation, and some students who were exposed to both. Students are given pre and post tests using the Lunar Phase Concept Inventory (LPCI) diagnostic. In addition to the diagnostic tests, free response comments are solicited from the students, and their responses are presented as well. We will discuss the effectiveness of this technology as a teaching tool and explore student reactions to the experience.

GeoWall use in an Introductory Geology laboratory: Impacts in Student Understanding of Field Mapping Concepts

Authors:
Ross, L E (ler8@dana.ucc.nau.edu)
Kelly, M (mkellyaz@earthlink.net)
Springer, A E (abe.springer@nau.edu)

Abstract:
In the Fall semester of 2003, Northern Arizona University will introduce the GeoWall to its introductory geology courses. This presents an opportunity to assess the impact of this new technology on students' understanding of basic topographic concepts and the spatial relationships between geology, topography, and hydrology on a field trip. Introductory Geology fulfills the Lab Science component of the Liberal Studies Program at Northern Arizona University. The class is open to all Northern Arizona University students, and is most commonly taken by non-science majors. In this class students learn to: locate their position using maps, identify common minerals and rocks, recognize the relationship between geology and geomorphology, visualize how rocks exposed at the surface continue into the subsurface, and to draw conclusions about possible geologic hazards in different settings. In this study we will report how a GeoWall 3D visualization technology was used in a field study of a graben south of Flagstaff. The goal of the field exercise is to improve students' ability to synthesize data collected at field stops into a conceptual model of the graben, linking geology, geomorphology and hydrology. We plan to present a quantitative assessment of the GeoWall learning objectives from data collected from a paired test and control group of students. Teaching assistants (TAs) with two or more lab classes have been identified; these TAs will participate in both GeoWall and non-GeoWall lab exercises. The GeoWall use will occur outside of normal lab hours to avoid disrupting the lab schedule during the eighth week of lab. This field preparation exercise includes a 3D visualization of the Lake Mary graben rendered with the ROMA software. The following week, all students attend the graben field trip; immediately following the trip, students will interviewed about their gain in understanding of the geologic features illustrated during the field trip. The results of the post-fieldtrip interviews will also be presented to quantitatively assess how students perceive the use of the GeoWall in this introductory geology setting, and how it affected their understanding.

Visualizing seismic wave propagation

Authors:
van Keken, P (keken@umich.edu)
Tromp, J (jtromp@gps.caltech.edu)
Komatitsch, D (komatitsch@yahoo.com)
Venkataraman, S (shalini@evl.uic.edu)
Schwarz, N (schwarz@evl.uic.edu)
Renambot, L (luc@evl.uic.edu)
Leigh, J (spiff@evl.uic.edu)

Abstract:
An accurate understanding of the propagation of seismic waves in the Earth is of fundamental importance for Earth Scientists at any level. Wave propagation is generally difficult to understand due to the spherical geometry and strong compositional layering in the Earth. 3D heterogeneity, anisotropy and attenuation create further complexities. Several tools exists, including those developed by Alan Jones (www.geol.binghamton.edu/faculty/jones/jones.html) or Michael Wysession (epsc.wustl.edu), that help beginning and advanced geoscientists by visualizing wave propagation in the Earth for 1D velocity models. A recently developed spectral element method (SPECFEM3D; Komatitsch et al., Science, 298, 1737, 2002) solves the full wave equation in a 3D spherical Earth which allows the inclusion of more realistic effects such as 3D heterogeneity and anisotropy. Accurate models require high spatial and temporal resolution and the use of this code is therefore restricted to moderately large PC clusters or other parallel platforms. The high resolution presents also difficulties when attempting to visualize the wave propagation since the presence of high frequency information requires high spatial resolution in the visualization. We have developed various approaches to visualizing the realistic wave propagation, using both 2D slices and 3D volumes, at high resolution. The visualization tools will benefit researchers that use SPECFEM3D since it provides mechanisms of quality control, data querying and dissemination, while also allowing to share new computational results with students and the media. We will demonstrate and compare visualizations for a number of historical earthquakes and provide a preliminary report on how students in introductory and advanced geophysics courses appreciated the use of these tools.

High-Resolution Multibeam Sonar Survey and Interactive 3-D Exploration of the D-Day Wrecks off Normandy

Authors:
Mayer, L A (lmayer@unh.edu)
Calder, B (bcalder@ccom.unh.edu)
Schmidt, J S

Abstract:
Historically, archaeological investigations use sidescan sonar and marine magnetometers as initial search tools. Targets are then examined through direct observation by divers, video, or photographs. Magnetometers can demonstrate the presence, absence, and relative susceptibility of ferrous objects but provide little indication of the nature of the target. Sidescan sonar can present a clear image of the overall nature of a target and its surrounding environment, but the sidescan image is often distorted and contains little information about the true 3-D shape of the object. Optical techniques allow precise identification of objects but suffer from very limited range, even in the best of situations. Modern high-resolution multibeam sonar offers an opportunity to cover a relatively large area from a safe distance above the target, while resolving the true three-dimensional (3-D) shape of the object with centimeter-level resolution. The combination of 3-D mapping and interactive 3-D visualization techniques provides a powerful new means to explore underwater artifacts. A clear demonstration of the applicability of high-resolution multibeam sonar to wreck and artifact investigations occurred when the Naval Historical Center (NHC), the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping (CCOM) at the University of New Hampshire, and Reson Inc., collaborated to explore the state of preservation and impact on the surrounding environment of a series of wrecks located off the coast of Normandy, France, adjacent to the American landing sectors The survey augmented previously collected magnetometer and high-resolution sidescan sonar data using a Reson 8125 high-resolution focused multibeam sonar with 240, 0.5$\deg$ (at nadir) beams distributed over a 120$\deg$ swath. The team investigated 21 areas in water depths ranging from about three -to 30 meters (m); some areas contained individual targets such as landing craft, barges, a destroyer, troop carrier, etc., while others contained multiple smaller targets such as tanks and trucks. Of particular interest were the well-preserved caissons and blockships of the artificial Mulberry Harbor deployed off Omaha Beach. The near-field beam-forming capability of the Reson 8125 combined with 3-D visualization techniques provided an unprecedented level of detail including the ability to recognize individual components of the wrecks (ramps, gun turrets, hatches, etc.), the state of preservation of the wrecks, and the impact of the wrecks on the surrounding seafloor. Visualization of these data on the GeoWall allows us to share the exploration of these important historical artifacts with both experts and the general public.

Geological map of the future: digital, interactive, and 3D

Authors:
Thorleifson, H (thorleif@umn.edu)

Abstract:
Geological survey agencies are developing methods for government geological mapping in the post-paper map era. Surficial and bedrock maps are being digitized and reconciled, while multiple generations of legends are being made accessible in a categorized format. Regional 3D geological models that integrate soils and geology, surficial and bedrock geology, as well as onshore and offshore are increasingly in demand as the information, technology, and protocols to build them progress. Applications such as regional groundwater modelling require digitizing, reconciliation, and assembly of a digital elevation model, bathymetry, offshore geology, soils, surficial geology, public domain drillhole and geophysical data, bedrock maps, and existing stratigraphic models typically expressed as structure contours. New stratigraphic modelling, particularly required for surficial unconsolidated deposits in many regions, requires information from cored holes logged by geologists as well as geophysical surveys. These high-quality results are extrapolated laterally using drill hole data, commonly large quantities of water well data of varying resolution and reliability. Much effort is required to adequately georeference the drillhole data, and to parse large numbers of unique lithological descriptions. Stratigraphic modelling methods ideally use all data and an approach that permits judgement in the acceptance or rejection of data, while interpolation and extrapolation are guided by genetic insights. Models are best captured as a grid of predicted stratigraphy profiles that convey expert opinion on interpolation and extrapolation from the data points. Reconciliation of mapping with that of neighbouring jurisdictions is a key step, as is balancing subjective definition of strata with more objective geostatistical approaches to characterizing the heterogeneous physical properties of the strata. Progress is readily achievable in undeformed strata, while deformed strata present far greater challenges. Increasingly, databases of observations and measurements are being retained alongside the interpreted model, and models are being assigned varying confidence levels such that the result is seen not as an end but a means for prioritizing new mapping. Current activity is broadening our reliance not only from paper maps to digital models, but also from plan view maps, to drillhole databases, to 3D models, to dynamic models such as groundwater flow models. Pressing user requirements demand that geological survey work rapidly advance along this progression.

Stereo Visualization of Time-Dependent 3D Convection: Illustrating Scales of Motion for Students (and Colleagues)

Authors:
King, S D (sking@purdue.edu)
Arns, L (larns@purdue.edu)
Moreland, J (morelanj@purdue.edu)
Lowman, J P (J.Lowman@earth.leeds.ac.uk)
Gable, C W (gable@lanl.gov)

Abstract:
The interaction between plates and convection produces complex flow patterns that are not only three dimensional and time dependent, but have features that occur over a large range of length scales. We have produced a series of calculations where plate motions reorganize over a very short time period as a result of the growth of a small-scale feature within the mantle flow. These calculations may provide insight into how plates on Earth reorganize. The topic of plate motions cuts across many disciplines in the geosciences and we would like to be able to convey the results of these calculations (and others like them) to students and colleagues who have little to no background in fluid dynamics. The spatial association of the features we are trying to highlight can be difficult to visualize with traditional three dimensional perspective representations, so we turn to stereo projection. At present, our planned survey of students and colleagues is informal. We will be showing them the animation, asking them to describe what they see and compare that with the responses from perspective representations. The calculations here represent one specific convection problem, yet our hope is that our experiences will serve as a guide that will enable instructors to use the complex results of state-of-the-art mantle convection calculations as illustrative tools in the classroom.

New 3D Tools Provide Insights for Earth Interior Research, Visualization, and Education

Authors:
Simkin, M V (Marvin.Simkin@asu.edu)
Garnero, E J (garnero@asu.edu)
Fouch, M J (fouch@asu.edu)

Abstract:
Investigations of Earth's interior, from crust to core, inherently utilize spatially-based data and models. Examples include the distribution of earthquake hypocenters, seismic wave raypaths, and seismic velocity heterogeneity maps derived by methods such as forward modeling and travel-time tomography. Visualization of such information is generally limited to 2D maps and cross-sections, which ultimately can limit the interpretation of inherently 3D problems. While a wide range of images produced for the GeoWall has provided an immediate impact in the classroom, few software tools are available for educators and researchers to create new discipline-specific images without the aid of software developers or commercial software applications. In this work, we describe a new set of visualization construction tools tailored for the GeoWall and other VRML-based systems that is designed for broad use and free distribution. HoloDraw is a software suite that enables the transformation of 2D, 3D and 4D data sets into 3D stereo GeoWall images. These tools, which are currently in development, facilitate use of existing GMT (Wessel, P. and W. H. F. Smith, Free software helps map and display data, EOS Trans. AGU, 72, 441, 1991) scripts and their data sources, and produce 3D files for the GeoWall, suitably configured web browsers, and other software packages capable of viewing VRML files. HoloDraw runs on Unix, Macintosh, and Windows, using script files and command lines to create rectilinear or spherical projections of a wide range of data sets. We will present several images constructed with HoloDraw, including heterogeneity maps from global and regional seismic tomography, earthquake hypocentral locations, and source-receiver raypaths used for deducing D'' topography. We show that HoloDraw facilitates bringing new life to existing data sets through 3D visualization techniques that are easily transported to web browsers and the GeoWall. The two immediate benefits of HoloDraw are: (1) It allows researchers to view data and/or models from perspectives previously unavailable or impractical to create. In some cases this process facilitates important next-step research decisions that may have otherwise been obscured. (2) HoloDraw enables researchers to transport existing 2D image construction scripts (e.g., GMT tools) into 3D, providing a clear and comprehensible transfer of research knowledge and discovery to all levels of students and colleagues.

The Role of Research Institutions in Building Visual Content for the Geowall

Authors:
Newman, R L (rlnewman@ucsd.edu)
Kilb, D (dkilb@ucsd.edu)
Nayak, A (atul@epicenter.ucsd.edu)
Kent, G (gkent@ucsd.edu)

Abstract:
The advent of the low-cost Geowall (http://www.geowall.org) allows researchers and students to study 3-D geophysical datasets in a collaborative setting. Although 3-D visual objects can aid the understanding of geological principles in the classroom, it is often difficult for staff to develop their own custom visual objects. This is a fundamentally important aspect that research institutions that store large (terabyte) geophysical datasets can address. At Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) we regularly explore gigabyte 3-D visual objects in the SIO Visualization Center (http://siovizcenter.ucsd.edu). Exporting these datasets for use with the Geowall has become routine with current software applications such as IVS's Fledermaus and iView3D. We have developed visualizations that incorporate topographic, bathymetric, and 3-D volumetric crustal datasets to demonstrate fundamental principles of earth science including plate tectonics, seismology, sea-level change, and neotectonics. These visualizations are available for download either via FTP or a website, and have been incorporated into graduate and undergraduate classes at both SIO and the University of California, San Diego. Additionally, staff at the Visualization Center develop content for external schools and colleges such as the Preuss School, a local middle/high school, where a Geowall was installed in February 2003 and curriculum developed for 8th grade students. We have also developed custom visual objects for researchers and educators at diverse education institutions across the globe. At SIO we encourage graduate students and researchers alike to develop visual objects of their datasets through innovative classes and competitions. This not only assists the researchers themselves in understanding their data but also increases the number of visual objects freely available to geoscience educators worldwide.

3D Geospatial Models for Visualization and Analysis of Groundwater Contamination at a Nuclear Materials Processing Facility

Authors:
Stirewalt, G L (gls3@nrc.gov)
Shepherd, J C (jcs2@nrc.gov)

Abstract:
Analysis of hydrostratigraphy and uranium and nitrate contamination in groundwater at a former nuclear materials processing facility in Oklahoma were undertaken employing 3-dimensional (3D) geospatial modeling software. Models constructed played an important role in the regulatory decision process of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) because they enabled visualization of temporal variations in contaminant concentrations and plume geometry. Three aquifer systems occur at the site, comprised of water-bearing fractured shales separated by indurated sandstone aquitards. The uppermost terrace groundwater system (TGWS) aquifer is composed of terrace and alluvial deposits and a basal shale. The shallow groundwater system (SGWS) aquifer is made up of three shale units and two sandstones. It is separated from the overlying TGWS and underlying deep groundwater system (DGWS) aquifer by sandstone aquitards. Spills of nitric acid solutions containing uranium and radioactive decay products around the main processing building (MPB), leakage from storage ponds west of the MPB, and leaching of radioactive materials from discarded equipment and waste containers contaminated both the TGWS and SGWS aquifers during facility operation between 1970 and 1993. Constructing 3D geospatial property models for analysis of groundwater contamination at the site involved use of EarthVision (EV), a 3D geospatial modeling software developed by Dynamic Graphics, Inc. of Alameda, CA. A viable 3D geohydrologic framework model was initially constructed so property data could be spatially located relative to subsurface geohydrologic units. The framework model contained three hydrostratigraphic zones equivalent to the TGWS, SGWS, and DGWS aquifers in which groundwater samples were collected, separated by two sandstone aquitards. Groundwater data collected in the three aquifer systems since 1991 indicated high concentrations of uranium ($>$10,000 micrograms/liter) and nitrate ($>$ 500 milligrams/liter) around the MPB and elevated nitrate ($>$ 2000 milligrams/ liter) around storage ponds. Vertical connectivity was suggested between the TGWS and SGWS, while the DGWS appeared relatively isolated from the overlying aquifers. Lateral movement of uranium was also suggested over time. For example, lateral migration in the TGWS is suggested along a shallow depression in the bedrock surface trending south-southwest from the southwest corner of the MPB. Another pathway atop the buried bedrock surface, trending west-northwest from the MPB and partially reflected by current surface topography, suggested lateral migration of nitrate in the SGWS. Lateral movement of nitrate in the SGWS was also indicated north, south, and west of the largest storage pond. Definition of contaminant plume movement over time is particularly important for assessing direction and rate of migration and the potential need for preventive measures to control contamination of groundwater outside facility property lines. The 3D geospatial property models proved invaluable for visualizing and analyzing variations in subsurface uranium and nitrate contamination in space and time within and between the three aquifers at the site. The models were an exceptional visualization tool for illustrating extent, volume, and quantitative amounts of uranium and nitrate contamination in the subsurface to regulatory decision-makers in regard to site decommissioning issues, including remediation concerns, providing a perspective not possible to achieve with traditional 2D maps. The geohydrologic framework model provides a conceptual model for consideration in flow and transport analyses.

GeoWall-2 : a Scalable Display System for the Geosciences

Authors:
Leigh, J (spiff@evl.uic.edu)
Morin, P (lpaul@umn.edu)
Johnson, A (aej@evl.uic.edu)
DeFanti, T A (tom@uic.edu)
Brown, M (maxine@uic.edu)
Sandin, D (dan@evl.uic.edu)
Rack, F (frack@joiscience.org)
Vernon, F (flvernon@ucsd.edu)
Orcutt, J (jorcutt@igpp.ucsd.edu)
Davis, B (bdavis@usgs.gov)
van Keken, P (keken@umich.edu)
Smarr, L (lsmarr@ucsd.edu)

Abstract:
The first generation of the GeoWall was targeted at providing affordable 3D stereoscopic visualization of small- to modest-sized Geoscience datasets. Continuing the trend to take advantage of the commodity computing, GeoWall-2 is designed to cost-effectively serve Geoscience applications that require greater display resolution and visualization capacity. The full GeoWall-2 consists of 15 LCD panels tiled in a 5x3 array comprising a total resolution of 8000x3600 pixels. Each LCD panel is driven by a single PC with a high-end graphics card such as Nvidia's Quadro FX3000, at least 250GBytes of disk space, 2.5-3GHz CPU, and Gigabit Ethernet networking. The GeoWall-2 is scalable in that smaller or even larger versions can be built by adjusting the number of LCDs and computers. Applications of the GeoWall-2 include the visualization of large remote sensing, volume rendering imagery, mapping, seismic interpretation, museum exhibits and other applications that require a large collaborative screen area. GeoWall-2 was developed with support from the National Science Foundation, and the Office of Naval Research.