Software & Apps
The following tables provide an overview of geoscientific software and licensing options. This is by no means a complete list, and based on data available as of November 2019.
Desktop Software
| Software name | Classification | Licensing | Comments | Developed by | URL | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MetaShape (previously PhotoScan) | Photogrammetry | ca 4000 NOK/academic license | user-friendly photogrammetry processing package | Agisoft | http://www.agisoft.com/ | |
| MicMac | Photogrammetry | open source | open source photogrammetric software | http://micmac.ensg.eu/index.php/Accueil | ||
| Pix4D | Photogrammetry | photogrammetry software | https://pix4d.com/ | |||
| Lime | Characterisation | Low cost academic fee | Virtual outcrop interpretation, new functionality on data integration/co-rendering | VOG Group, NORCE | http://virtualoutcrop.com/lime | Buckley et al. (2019) |
| VRGS | Characterisation | Low cost academic fee | Virtual outcrop interpretation package | University of Manchester | https://www.vrgeoscience.com | Hodgetts et al. (2007) |
| Move | Characterisation | free academic | Structural geology and geomapping tool, seamless integration with FieldMove and Petrel, visualizes .obj files | Midland Valley | https://www.mve.com/software | |
| PlaneDetect | Characterisation | academic license agreement | Automatic detection of fracture planes on meshed surfaces | Norwegian Geotechnical Institute | ||
| CloudCompare | Characterisation | open source | open source point cloud visualisation and analysis package | http://www.danielgm.net/cc/ | ||
| MeshLab | Characterisation | open source | conversion of various file formats | http://meshlab.sourceforge.net/ | ||
| Safari Database | Visualisation | mostly for subscribers only | Global catalogue of virtual outcrop models as reservoir analogues. Public part open. | https://safaridb.com/ | Naumann et al. (2018) | |
| Erock | Visualisation | open access | Catalogue of global virtual outcrop models, sorted by | University of Aberdeen | https://www.e-rock.org.uk | Cawood and Bond (2019) |
| SketchFab | Visualisation | online display of 3D models | https://sketchfab.com/models/d82a3d98a2544f0487cb5c2df228dcce | |||
| SvalSim | Data integration | free academic | Heavily used in Svalex expeditions, run for multi-disciplinary student teams in Svalbard until 2013. | Statoil | Saether et al. (2004) | |
| Google Earth | Data integration | free | Easy to use, poor "base map" coverage in many Arctic areas | https://www.google.com/earth/ | ||
| Google Earth on web | Data integration | free academic | Browser version of Google Earth | https://earth.google.com/web/@0,0,-24018.82718741a,36750128.22569847d,35y,0h,0t,0r/data=CgAoAQ | ||
| Google Earth Engine | Data integration | by sign up | includes a wealth of geospatial data for Earth science | https://earthengine.google.com/ https://explorer.earthengine.google.com/#workspace | ||
| ArcGIS (Pro) | Data integration | license fee applies | powerful GIS software | ESRI | ||
| Drone2Map | Data integration | license fee applies | ArcGIS plug-in for detailed virtual outcrop acquisition using drones | ESRI | http://www.esri.com/products/drone2map | |
| qGIS | Data integration | open source | powerful GIS software | |||
| MOSIS | 3D/VR | by agreement | Immersive Virtual Outcrop Visualization and Interpretation | Unisinos, Brasil | https://vizlab.unisinos.br | |
| Blueback Toolbox | 3D/VR | free academic | Petrel plug-in for various tasks, including map and profile digitization | Cegal | ||
| 3D Publisher | 3D/VR | license fee applies | Petrel plug-in for generating 3D pdfs from Petrel 3D window (e.g., seismic, wells, surfaces, faults etc.) | Mirage | ||
| PointCloudViz | 3D/VR | license fee applies | Petrel plug-in for visualising textured point clouds in Petrel | Mirage | ||
| VideoSolo Video Converter Ultimate | 3D/VR | ca 50eur per license | Generate VR videos from normal videos | VideoSolo | https://www.videosolo.com |
Mobile Software
| Software name | Classification | Licensing | Developed by | Comments | URL | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FieldMove | Acquisition | ca 30usd | Midland Valley | Digital fieldbook for iPad, including clinometer | |||
| FieldMoveClino | Acquisition | free-5usd | Midland Valley | iPhone tool for digital structural measurements | |||
| iSeismometer | Acquisition | free | ObjectGraph | Interactive seismometer sensitive to motion. Data can be recorded and shared. Last updated 2011 | |||
| Theodolite | Acquisition | commercial | Hunter Research | Advanced surveying, including dip, elevation, GPS position and calculations of height etc. | |||
| Tracker | Acquisition | free | Simple GPS tracker that can generate a .gpx track and share it by email | ||||
| iSetSquare | Acquisition | commercial | plaincode | geometry triangle tool to measure angles and distances. Also included in Sensor Utility bundles. | |||
| MagnetMeter | Acquisition | measures magnetic field and acceleration | |||||
| GeoID | Acquisition | Digital clinometer with plotting function | |||||
| GPX Tracker | Acquisition | more advanced GPS tracker that generates GPX files for sharing | |||||
| Clinometer | Acquisition | Clinometer app | |||||
| Stereonet | Acquisition | free | Richard Allmendiger | digital compass/clinometer. Allows manual data collection. | |||
| FaultKin Mobile | Acquisition | free | Richard Allmendiger | Fault kinematics | |||
| StratMobile | Acquisition | Allows acquisition of stratigraphic log | |||||
| Geoviewer | Reference | free (55nok for pro) | Lizardtech | Visualisation of geospatial data, useful for example for geological maps on Svalbard | |||
| NorgesGeologi | Reference | free | Kjetil Indrevær | digital geological maps of mainland Norway | |||
| MohsScale | Reference | free/paid | Canada Inc | Digital version of Mohs' hardness scale - including database of minerals | |||
| iStrat | Reference | free | Noreco | Digital version of the NORLEX stratigraphic chart of the Norwegian Continental Shelf (inc. Svalbard) | |||
| Documents 6 | Reference | free | Readdle Inc | Document managing system. Can also include videos saved directly from YouTube etc. (tutorials) and pdfs like reading lists, maps etc. | |||
| SwampForest/CoveForest | VR Trip | free | Basic "virtual field trips" | ||||
| GEOroutes | VR Trip | free | Ground-based "field trip" app similar to Geocaching. Follows global "Geoparks", only few localities at present. | ||||
| Google Expeditions | VR Trip | App to allow whole class to conduct a virtual expedition together to select sites. | |||||
| BP Stats Review | Reference | free | BP | Digital version of BP's annual world energy review | |||
| i-InfoTerre/InfoGeol | Reference | free | BGRM | Integrated tools for visualizing various geological data (in France) | |||
| geoTools | Reference | Alta Resolucao | App providing magnetic and gravity properties from global data - and basic Geo-UTM conversion | ||||
| GeoTimeScale | Reference | TasaGraphics | Simple geological time scale down to ages, with some key events marked | ||||
| Mineral ID | Reference | aid to determine minerals | |||||
| Glossary | Reference | Geological terms glossary | |||||
| Epicenter | Educational | free | Blue Rocket | Basic map showing recent large earthquakes globally, nice globe as background | |||
| EarthObserver | Educational | free | Lamont Doherty | Display and co-rendering of numerous global (and Arctic) datasets (e.g. geological maps etc.). Needs update. | |||
| Oil Facts | Educational | free | NPD | access to most of the NPD FactPages and FactMaps | |||
| Google Earth | Educational | mobile version of the well-known Google Earth application. | |||||
| 3DPDFReader | Misc. | free | TechSoft 3D | visualisation of 3D models - uses 3d PDF format that needs to be optimized using Adobe Pro. | |||
| 123DCatch etc | Misc. | discontinued in 2017 | Various tools for visualization and generation of 3D models on iPhone/iPad | ||||
| Camera! | Misc. | commercial | More advanced camera app than standard one | ||||
| Dictaphone | Misc. | free/paid | Recording app - sharing requires the commercial version | ||||
| Sensor Kinetics Pro | Misc. | 11NOK | Dov Feinstein | App to read and record smartphone sensors in real-time. | |||
| ArcGIS | Misc. | ESRI's main ArcGIS app - including a global base map | |||||
| Trnio | Misc. | free | Jan-Michael Tressler | App to directly take or upload photo's, make a 3D model and share to Sketchfab. | |||
| GISPro | Misc. | Licensing | Garafa | GIS based field app, able add features and to export to example Arcmap and qGIS. | |||
| Adobe Acrobat Reader | Misc. | free | Adobe | Classic Adobe Reader but including a useful "on-the-fly" scanning to pdf function useful for digitizing reports etc. | |||
| DJI Go | Droning | free | DJI | controlling app for DJI's drones | |||
| Litchi | Droning | commercial | VC technology | extra features for controlling drones - including object tracking | |||
| DroneDeploy | Droning | free | Plan drone missions for automatic photo making of specific area. | ||||
| Skycatch | Droning | free | Plan drone missions for automatic photo making of specific area. | ||||
| Airdata UAV | Droning | Drone measuring app | |||||
| Pix 4D capture | Droning | Drone control app to acquire data for 3D processing in Pix 4D. |
Bibliography
Buckley, S.J., Ringdal, K., Naumann, N., Dolva, B., Kurz, T.H., Howell, J.A., and Dewez, T.J., 2019, LIME: Software for 3-D visualization, interpretation, and communication of virtual geoscience models: Geosphere, v. 15, p. 222–235.
Cawood, A.J., and Bond, C.E., 2019, eRock: An Open-Access Repository of Virtual Outcrops for Geoscience Education: GSA Today,.
Hodgetts, D., Gawthorpe, R.L., Wilson, P., and Rarity, F., 2007, Integrating Digital and Traditional Field Techniques Using Virtual Reality Geological Studio (VRGS), http://doi.org/10.3997/2214-4609.201401718.
Naumann, N., Howell, J.A., Buckley, S.J., Ringdal, K., Benjamin, D., and Maxwell, G., 2019, New ways of sharing outcrop data: the SAFARI database and 3D web viewer, in 3rd Virtual Geoscience Conference, Kingston, Canada.
Saether, B.M., Johansen, S.E., Hesthammer, J., Solbakken, O., and Synnestvedt, K.E., 2004, Using geosimulators to enhance field-based geological training: first break, v. 22.