Virtual Geosite Communication through a WebGIS Platform: A Case Study from Santorini Island (Greece)
Source abstract
Abstract
We document and show a state-of-the-art methodology that could allow geoheritage sites (geosites) to become accessible to scientific and non-scientific audiences through immersive and non-immersive virtual reality applications. This is achieved through a dedicated WebGIS platform, particularly handy in communicating geoscience during the COVID-19 era. For this application, we selected nine volcanic outcrops in Santorini, Greece. The latter are mainly associated with several geological processes (e.g., dyking, explosive, and effusive eruptions). In particular, they have been associated with the famous Late Bronze Age (LBA) eruption, which made them ideal for geoheritage popularization objectives since they combine scientific and educational purposes with geotourism applications. Initially, we transformed these stunning volcanological outcrops into geospatial models—the so called virtual outcrops (VOs) here defined as virtual geosites (VGs)—through UAV-based photogrammetry and 3D modeling. In the next step, we uploaded them on an online platform that is fully accessible for Earth science teaching and communication. The nine VGs are currently accessible on a PC, a smartphone, or a tablet. Each one includes a detailed description and plenty of annotations available for the viewers during 3D exploration. We hope this work will be regarded as a forward model application for Earth sciences’ popularization and make geoheritage open to the scientific community and the lay public.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Geotourism and Geoheritage Conservation · 3D Surveying and Cultural Heritage · Maritime and Coastal Archaeology
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Department of Human and Innovation Sciences, Insubria University, Via S. Abbondio 12, 22100 Como, Italy
Department of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupoli Zografou, 15784 Athens, Greece
Department of Earth Sciences, Queen’s Building, Royal Holloway University of London, Surrey, Egham TW20 0EX, UK
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 4, 20126 Milan, Italy
CRUST-Interuniversity Center for 3D Seismotectonics with Territorial Applications, 66100 Chieti Scalo, Italy
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