15 Thinking outside the Display Case: Innovative Geological Outreach at Museums, Parks, and Surveys

Tuesday, 19 May 2015
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Hall of Ideas I

FLYOVER COUNTRY, A MOBILE APP FOR GEOSCIENCE OUTREACH, EDUCATION, AND DATA DISCOVERY

Paper number: 15-11
Program: Theme Sessions
Time: 4:30 PM – 4:50 PM

Authors

Abstract

A rich and growing library of geoscience information is increasingly interconnected and exposed, bringing databases out from the museums, labs, and surveys where they originated. However, few mobile apps take advantage of this wealth of information. Flyover Country combines digital geoscience data with the view from a car or airplane window, an overlook on a hiking trail, or a field location on a class trip, bringing students and the public to the forefront of scientific knowledge. Using offline caching and GPS tracking, Flyover Country will display geologic maps, stratigraphy, fossil localities, process descriptions, regional overviews, basic geographic information, and the user’s current location, speed, direction, and altitude. The app analyzes a given path and caches only the relevant data, which it presents during the trip without the need for an internet connection. Downloading only the data applicable to a particular flightpath or trip allows offline cache sizes to remain small, creating a robust offline experience. The value of this application extends beyond public outreach, and fits well into the NSF EarthCube initiative: it allows scientists to make connections and discoveries that otherwise would not have been possible by bringing together scientific data from many sources and displaying them elegantly on a mobile device that can be brought anywhere.