Riggs Group
Spatial Visualization

 

The Riggs Group has conducted reserach in the area of geoscience spatial visualization, focusing primarily on the area of Visual Penetrative Abiliy, as described by Kali and Orion in 1996. This is the ability to visualize the internal structure of folded and faulted sedimentary rocks from only surface clues.

We have also worked with the Purdue Visualization of Rotations instrument and have correlated performance on that instrument with high performance in field structural geology and also in visulizing and understanding the evolution of sedimentary systems over time - i.e. sequence stratigraphy.

This site is under continuous development and new materials, references, extended abstracts, and articles will be added as they are ready. Updated April, 2010.

Articles/Abstracts

Developing A Process Model for Visual Penetrative Ability byAlles, M and E.M. Riggs, in press in Feig, A. and Stokes, A, eds., Qualitative Inquiry in Geoscience Education Research: Geological Society of America Special Paper -  anticipated publication October 2010

A Role for Mental Rotations in Field Based Problem Solving, by E.M. Riggs, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, V. 41, N7, pg. 195 - 2009 GSA Annual Meeting

For early and complete results of our entire VPA study, please see the MS thesis of Matt Alles under Past Students.