GSA GOLD is on Tuesday 2 November {1.30pm AEDT (ACT, NSW, TAS, VIC), 1.00pm ACDT (SA), 12.30pm AEST (QLD), 11.00am ACST (NT), 10.30am AWST (WA)}.

Our speaker is Tom Raimondo (University of South Australia)

Talk title: 360 Flinders Ranges: An Immersive Virtual Tour in Support of World Heritage

Registration for GSA GOLD is free for all GSA members. Non-members can also register for just $10.00.

Non-members can use the GSA GOLD registration fee as part of their joining fee when applying for membership with the Geological Society of Australia. Please email info@gsa.org.au for info.

Following your registration, you will be sent a link to attend GSA GOLD on Zoom.

Abstract:

Established in 2014, Project LIVE is a STEM initiative at the University of South Australia focused on creating high-quality virtual and augmented reality platforms that unlock or add value to critical field experiences. A key emphasis of our work is making classic field locations from around Australia and the globe more accessible, and leveraging these immersive experiences for industry and community engagement, research insights and educational benefit.

This presentation will provide a behind-the-scenes look at our latest work: creating a virtual tour of the Flinders Ranges in support of the World Heritage nomination currently being developed for this region. Our project aims to develop both a shared understanding of the remarkable history, cultural heritage and scientific value of this iconic landscape, and a responsibility for its future conservation. No longer a remote and inaccessible corner of the world, the Flinders Ranges will be uncovered with the power of virtual reality, allowing anyone from across the globe to be taken on an immersive journey through deep geological time.

Come and see a VR reconstruction of the ancient Ediacaran seafloor that witnessed the dawn of life on Earth, and get a birds-eye view of the stunning structures and stratigraphy at Wilpena Pound. Take an underground tour of the Blinman Heritage Mine, or a 4WD bush trek at Warraweena Conservation Park. All will be revealed in 360 degrees and four dimensions!

Biography:

Tom Raimondo is Associate Professor of Geology and Geochemistry and Professorial Lead for STEM at the University of South Australia. In 2019 he was named the SA Science Excellence Awards STEM Educator of the Year, and has featured on Channel 10 and ABC shows such as Scope, Science with Dr Karl, The Science Show, Ockham’s Razor and Off Track. Tom is also the leader of Project LIVE (Learning through Immersive Virtual Environments).

Explore a range of virtual tours and resources created by the Project LIVE team at https://www.projectlive.org.au/, including Beyond the Ice, a gamified expedition of Hallett Cove where users are challenged to explore the landscape history of this geological heritage site by performing tasks like finding fossils, measuring glacial grooves and identifying rock folds. A recent ABC News article on the Flinders Ranges virtual tour can also be found here.