Experience the Subsurface in Virtual Reality

How much sand is beneath our feet? Experience it yourself by putting on virtual reality goggles! Dive into lithostratigraphic layers, and see what they look like when you zoom in and out and move around in the subsurface. You will be able to see the sands and other sediments below Wageningen from a whole new perspective: as piles of little Lego blocks! Rob van Ede, data scientist at Geological Survey of the Netherlands, will facilitate the activity.

About Rob van Ede

Rob van Ede is a data scientist and physical geographer at Geological Survey of the Netherlands (Geologische Dienst Nederland, part of TNO (the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research)). He has experience in field research, modelling, spatial IT and data harmonization. Rob’s current assignment includes data analysis, conceptual data modelling, data harmonization and project management. In the past, he has worked on different environmentally related subjects such as satellite remote sensing of soil moisture, coastal water quality and coral bleaching, conceptual modelling of geotechnical and geological surveys, modelling of oil and gas production, harmonization of geodata at the Dutch national airport and spatial software development, and data analysis for local Dutch municipalities.

About The World of Sand (21-28 May)

Sand. Ordinary and incredibly diverse. Beautiful. Omnipresent and becoming scarce at the same time. In this theme week, Studium Generale explores the many aspects of this versatile material. What it looks like, how it sounds, how we source it, what you can do with it and, especially, its growing scarcity and the consequences this has.

Did you know that sand is the most consumed raw material on earth after fresh water? And that your smartphone wouldn’t exist without it? It is used for buildings, infrastructure, glass, computers, cosmetics and detergents – omnipresent things in our daily lives. With visions of deserts in your mind it might be hard to imagine, but did you ever realize that sand is a finite source, and actually becoming scarcer? And that the increasing pressure on this resource may have serious implications, ranging from sand conflicts and ecological destruction, to compromised food production and flood protection?

Delve into the everyday and at the same time unknown world of sand, and explore its special nature and role from various angles. Admire its beauty and diversity, and find out why sand has so many different uses. Discover where we get it from and how we extract it. Learn about the social and ecological effects of sand extraction, and discuss what role science and policy could play in promoting sustainable sand use.