3D Geologic Map Gallery

Structure Map 3D Gallery

Welcome to the Structure Map 3D Gallery, which has links to QuickTime Virtual Reality (QTVR) movies of invented geology contained within digital topography. Each movie consists of a 3D perspective of the map area that the user can rotate using the mouse to view the area from any direction. This site allows you to see how the geology relates to topography, such as the outcrop pattern of dipping layers, and to apprehend the 3D nature of geologic maps and structures.

To use this site you will need QuickTime installed on your computer, either as a plug-in for your browser or as a stand-alone application to run downloaded files. To access a movie, click on the link below to bring up the QTVR movie for that area. Alternatively, you can download the file to your computer and run QuickTime as an application separate from your browser. I recommend that you download the files and run QuickTime independent of your browser because the QuickTime plug-in isn't consistent about the size it displays the movies and also causes some odd distortions. To rotate the movie, click and drag your mouse to either the left or the right. Some movies also permit you to tilt the terrain up or down by clicking and dragging your mouse up and down. The movies begin with a perspective viewed toward the north (the little red triangle).

Caution: The QTVR movies are mostly 1 to 3 MB, and so may require 10 or more minutes to download on slow Internet connections. I made the movies as small as I could without sacrificing quality and usability. If you want a quicker view, check out the single 3D image instead. Contour intervals are mostly 30 meters. Movies begin with a view to the north. Use your BACK button to return to this page.

Locality and Geologic Features	Link to QTVR Movie	Link to Single 3D-Perspective Image	Contour Map
Simple Topographic Features
Simple Hill: Adjustable layer intersecting contours	Hill LayerTilt Movie		Hill Contour Map
Simple Hill - Higher: Adjustable layer intersecting contours, but higher plane than above movie	Hill LayerTilt Movie		Hill Contour Map
Simple Valley: Adjustable layer intersecting contours	Valley LayerTilt Movie		Valley Contour Map
Quadrangles
Poland Junction, Arizona: Layer dipping 20 degrees to the west	Poland Junction Movie		Poland Junction Contours
Poland Junction, Arizona: Layer dipping gently to northwest	Poland Junction Movie		Poland Junction Contours
Poland Junction, Arizona: Gently plunging anticline: File is 3 MB.	Poland Junction Movie		Poland Junction Contours
New River Mesa, Arizona: Layer dipping 10 degrees (let these New River movies finish loading to view toward the north)	New River Mesa Movie		New River Mesa Contours
New River Mesa, Arizona: Layer dipping 20 degrees	New River Mesa Movie		New River Mesa Contours
New River Mesa, Arizona: Layer dipping 15 degrees down canyon	New River Mesa Movie		New River Mesa Contours
New River Mesa, Arizona: Layer with fully adjustable dip	New River Mesa Movie with adjustable dip		New River Mesa Contours
New River Mesa, Arizona: Layer with fully adjustable dip and partially transparent plane projecting out of terrain: use with movie above to help students visualize, both with and without the visual help of the plane	New River Mesa Movie with adjustable dip and partially transparent plane		New River Mesa Contours
New River Mesa, Arizona: Layer with fully adjustable dip and partially transparent plane projecting out of terrain -- Bigger Version (1000 X 1000 pixels per image = 2 MB file)	New River Mesa Movie with adjustable dip and partially transparent plane		New River Mesa Contours
New River Mesa, Arizona: Layer with fully adjustable dip and partially transparent plane projecting out of terrain with contours -- Big Version (1000 X 1000 pixels per image = 3 MB file).	New River Mesa Movie with adjustable dip and partially transparent plane with draped contours		New River Mesa Contours
New River Mesa, Arizona: Layer with fully adjustable dip and corresponding map view -- very cool!	New River Mesa Movie with adjustable dip and map view		New River Mesa Contours
Gateway Rapids, Grand Canyon, Arizona: Gently dipping layer	Gateway Rapids Movie		Gateway Rapids Contours
The Pillar, New Mexico: Gently dipping layer in badlands-escarpment type of geology. Very Large file (8 MB), but great for mapping exercises (2-row movie gives different elevation perspectives)	Pillar Movie		Pillar Contours (10m)
Dry Rock Creek, Lake Powell, Utah: Gently dipping layer (3-row movie; larger file size, but you can tilt terrain); starts off with NW view.	Dry Rock Creek Movie		Dry Rock Creek Contours
Yellow Band: Not the famous one from Everest, but an imaginary one in the Kofa Mountains, Arizona	Yellow Band Movie		Yellow Band Contours
Green-Blue-Brown: Simple layers intersecting topography; topography from Loy Butte, near Sedona, Arizona	Green-Blue-Brown Movie		Green-Blue-Brown Contours
The movies and images below show topography of real places, but geology I invented. They give students practice drawing geologic contacts on the associated contour maps.
WARNING -- The files below are huge!!! Do not attempt to download them by modem; they will take all day!
Poland Junction, Arizona: Contours and projected trace of layers with 5, 15, 30, and 45 degree dips (with vertical exaggeration)	Poland Junction Movie 11 MB file!!!		Poland Junction Contours
Poland Junction, Arizona: Contours and projected trace of layers with 5, 15, 30, and 45 degree dips (no vertical exaggeration)	Poland Junction Movie 11 MB file!!!		Poland Junction Contours
Poland Junction, Arizona: Gently dipping layer -- Large Version	Poland Junction Movie 5 MB file!!!		Poland Junction Contours
New River Mesa, Arizona: Layer dipping 20 degrees -- Large Version	New River Mesa Movie 5 MB file!!!		New River Mesa Contours

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Page created by: S. Reynolds