The Educational Multimedia Visualization Center of the Department of Earth Science, U.C.S.B

Recent Updates: Seafloor Spreading Animation Collection and Tuzo's Puzzle added to Downloads!

About the EMVC

            The UCSB Educational Multimedia Visualization Center is dedicated to the creation of high quality visualization-enhancing materials about the Earth Sciences, harnessing the power of new multi-media imagery tools to bring our science to life.  Our goal is to make Earth information broadly accessible and as interesting, exciting and fun as possible for uses in all levels and forms of education.  We create many projects ourselves, using the expertise of Tanya Atwater and her colleagues concerning plate tectonics and regional Southern California geological development.   We also support visiting scientists who bring their own expertise, images, and excitement to the Center to get help in converting them to multi-media products.  All materials are subjected to thorough review, both for scientific accuracy and for user effectiveness, and are revised accordingly.  All materials are made available via web downloads and links and in other formats, free of charge for educational use and for modest fees for commercial use.

            While our most visible activity of the Center is the production of geological computer animations and shows, we are also deeply involved in the conversion of geological film slides to digital images.  The process includes scanning and creation of interpretive overlays, and the preparation of relevant meta-data for submission to the Alexandria Digital Library at U.C.S.B.  All images are then web-searchable and downloadable from this library.

Funding

            The Center is primarily funded with a National Science Foundation Director's Award for Distinguished Teaching Scholars, awarded to Atwater in 2002.  This is supplemented by grants from the U.C.S.B. Office of Instructional Development and by fees charged to commercial enterprises for use of our materials.  The Instructional Development group also supplies encouragement, educational critiques and access to Sound and TV Studios.

Contact Info:
Feel free to contact us either by phone or email.