Virtual geological trips- a complementary tool for field excursions in the Arctic?

Abstract:

Field-based geological education in the High Arctic is challenging due to the long polar night, harsh weather conditions, extensive snow cover, and potential interaction with polar bears. Since 1993, The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) has provided field-based education in Arctic geology, using the field laboratory at 78°N.

In mid-March 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of all fieldwork and field-based education. 17 bachelor students, taking the 15 ECTS full-semester course “Integrated Geological Methods: From Outcrop to Geomodel (AG-222)”, were able to continue remotely as courses running at the time were continued digitally. The original plan included a four-day long snowmobile fieldtrip to the Carboniferous rift basin located in central Spitsbergen. Instead, restrictions meant that students were tasked with preparing virtual field guides of specific sites throughout the basin and present these to the entire class through a publicly available video. The videos included digital outcrop models from the UNIS-managed Svalbox data portal, geological maps, aerial images, google earth, georeferenced photos, measurements and notes from FieldMove projects compiled by students taking the course in previous years. Following the presentation of these field guides, additional information and discussions were facilitated by the lecturers. The students, in groups of 3-4, were tasked to identify potential hydrocarbon prospects, and apply for a fictional claim application in Billefjorden.

The feedback collected from the students and teachers clearly points out that the virtual field excursions cannot replace real field experience. Principal geological tests such as Mohs hardness tests, grain/crystal size analysis, or structures orientation measurements, which are a foundation of bachelor-level courses, cannot be performed virtually. Virtual field excursions can, however, contribute to the field-based education and serve as an introduction to the study area and function as a substitute for snow-covered or inaccessible localities or when a planned field excursion needs to be adapted to harsh weather conditions. Ultimately, we conclude that there are real benefits to virtual excursions only if it is combined with real field work of the same or comparable geology.