South Australian Geologist Digs Deep to 600-Million-Year-Old Flinders Ranges Through Virtual Reality

Do you feel like donning a VR headset and traveling through ancient geological times? With the introduction of a 360-degree virtual tour of the 600-million-year-old Flinders Ranges in South Australia, it is now conceivable.

Thanks to a University of South Australia study that details the geological and cultural significance of the Flinders Ranges, one of Australia's most fascinating vistas may now be viewed online.

According to the Virtual Reality Society, the concept of virtual reality is derived from the notions of virtuality and reality. The meaning of "virtual" is close to reality, which is what we as humans encounter. Thus, "virtual reality" is essentially "near-reality." Of fact, this might signify anything, but it often alludes to a certain kind of reality simulation.

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A man uses virtual reality glasses at the stand of Orange to visit Notre Dame Cathedral at the MWC (Mobile World Congress) in Barcelona on March 2, 2022. - The Mobile World Congress, where smartphone and telecoms companies show off their latest products and reveal their strategic visions, is expected to welcome more than 40,000 guests over its four-day run.

Virtually Explore the 600-Million-Year-Old Flinders Ranges Through VR

The study, led by professor of geology Tom Raimondo of UniSA, is aiding the SA Government's application to have the area designated as a World Heritage Site, which is anticipated to be filed in 2024.

"The launch of this immersive virtual tour marks a significant step towards opening the Flinders Ranges to the international community," Prof Raimondo said per Phys.org.

"Ultimately, UNESCO World Heritage status will allow it to stand alongside icons like the Great Barrier Reef and Yosemite National Park," Raimondo added.

The Flinders Ranges have a noteworthy past, a rich cultural legacy, and significant scientific importance. The Ediacaran biota, our oldest animal predecessors, reside there, and experts have used virtual reality to unveil a half-billion years' worth of the history of life. Now, everyone from anywhere in the world can understand why this environment is so unique and beautiful.

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About Flinders Ranges

The virtual tour transports visitors underground through historic tunnels to experience the difficulties of early copper miners and includes a virtual swim on the Ediacaran seabed, home to the earliest animals on Earth. Viewers fly over rocky mountain ranges to learn how Ikara (Wilpena Pound) was formed.

The Flinders Ranges' only Ediacaran fossils are a crucial component of the candidacy for the World Heritage Site.

As part of the Year 8 science curriculum beginning in 2023, South Australia's schoolchildren will study the significance of these amazing fossils.

"We have worked with the South Australian Science Teachers Association, the Department for Education and the Ediacara Foundation to produce content for this new resource that is drawn from the virtual tour," researchers said per Newswise.

According to the researchers, students can swim virtually across the undersea habitat of the extinct species and explore 3D reconstructions of the animals. It will be the equivalent of reviving 600-million-year-old fossils and perhaps encourage the next generation of aspiring geologists to continue the work of Douglas Mawson and Reg Sprigg.