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DeepEarth
is an offspring of the popular
simulation
software MINERAL VENTURE used in many universities around the world for graduates
or undergraduates.
DeepEarth
is an excellent introduction to
geology
and well adapted to
beginners:
middle and high school pupils as well as
undergraduates.
It can be enjoyed as a
game
and students, through its use, discover that Earth Sciences can be quite an exciting field of
experimentation.
It is also a powerful
learning tool
for more advanced students, who can utilize
ground geology
and
drillings
to understand complex geological structures while carefully managing a predetermined amount of exploration resources.
DeepEarth
is a computer simulation software which allows users to interact with a
geological environment.
They can dispose of
topographic
or
geologic maps
and can perform
drillings
to discover the
structure
of the underground formations or the locations of some
ore deposits.
When this first phase of investigation is over, three more powerful
tools become available, namely
cross-sections,
structural maps
and
block diagrams,
to allow comparisons between what the students assume to be the hidden underground and what is in fact the
"real" thing.
Click this button to view a sample DeepEarth cross section.
DeepEarth
can be used in
different ways.
The
simplest way
involves the teacher and students acting together as a unique
team and the first phase of investigation is skipped. In this case, students play a relatively passive role
and the game is mostly an interactive display of maps, cross-sections, and 3D pictures. A more
sophisticated way
engages students to act as geologists. In this case, they may be grouped into small and competitive teams
which are interacting constantly with the software during several sessions. The teacher is then called the
"leader" of the game and has the privilege of allotting the teams the
means of action,
for example, the maximum number and types of
maps
that a team may request as well as the number and the total length of
drillings
that a team may not exceed.
More than
twelve geologic models
are provided, going from a horizontal series model to a folded, faulted, and intruded series model. Moreover,
the teacher can easily
change many parameters
of a model, like its structural orientation, its dip, or add a secondary tectonics. The mean level of erosion,
the average relief, or the soil thickness (which determines the number of observable geologic outcrops) can
also be adjusted. In addition, it is possible to change the way streams have eroded the banks by selecting
the type or the dimensions of the valley profiles. This flexibility of
DeepEarth
allows the educator to create an
infinity of different situations
out of each of the twelve geologic models!
DeepEarth
permits the displaying of the geologic models or Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) in
3D stereoscopy
on screen.
What can you expect from introducing
DeepEarth
into your courses? Certainly a good
understanding of topographic and geologic maps,
a
three dimensional perception
of the "geologic space", a real insight into the interest of drillings and their right location, a firm
awareness of the interaction between topography and underground geology and, even more important in today's
world of multimedia, an enjoyable, interactive and
realistic first encounter
with Geology for the beginners...
The hardware requirement is a PC running under Windows and equipped with a Pentium or faster processor. The monitor
must be able to display 256 colors or more. A resolution of 640x480 is fair but we recommend 1024x768. A printer is
welcome. In the case of a competitive workshop with several teams, the best disposition offers students a private
access to a computer (PC or network).
DeepEarth
is sold as a site license and can be used simultaneously on many computers. It can even be used at home by students.
The only restriction is that the leader is unique because of the special privileges associated with this role.
DeepEarth
comes with educational suggestions.
Be prepared to discover an astonishing new way to teach and learn Geology!
Price
1 School Site License $2499
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Click here to order DeepEarth!
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