Rockd vs A Deeper Map

Explore, learn about, and document your geologic surroundings! Whether you are a professional geoscientist or curious about the rocks around you and the stories they tell, Rockd allows you to explore and learn about the geologic record, contribute your own observations, and log your journey through the geologic record. Features: - Instant access to geologic and geographic summaries of your current location via a Dashboard - Interactive global access to more than 290 geologic maps, with more being added weekly - Explore the landscape with a dynamic, 3D virtual globe - Save maps for use in the field with a built-in map caching system - See your past location and explore paleogeographic maps from C.R. Scotese and GPlates - View Macrostrat stratigraphic columns where available (beta) - Explore published literature containing mentions of mapped geologic units (when available) via xDD (formerly, GeoDeepDive) - Elevation data for most points on Earth from digital elevation models (DEMs) - Add your own field observations even offline; tag features from Macrostrat and the Paleobiology Database - Record strike/dip or trend/plunge for geologic features, using your phone's compass - Track your progress through the geologic record privately, or share it with others - See the public activity of other users and share your own and other public checkins using unique URLs Rockd is produced by the Macrostrat lab in the Department of Geoscience at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Support provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Dept. of Geoscience. Experiencing issues? Send an email to contact@rockd.org and we will do our best to help you resolve it.

A Deeper Map is a public art project that takes the form of a map-based mobile app. The project allows current residents of the lower Salt River Valley (home of today’s metro Phoenix area) to appreciate the ancient legacy that inspired our modern desert metropolis. The project is designed to show current residents of the Valley where ancient irrigation and agriculture once existed where they now live, work or go to school. We have paired contemporary maps with archaeological maps of the canal paths and conjectural renderings of ancient agricultural fields to inform the general public about the scope and sophistication of prehistoric agriculture here. The central metaphor for the app is a modern map of the area that can be slid away, revealing a fixed prehistoric map below. The contemporary map is viewable in three modes: an opaque map (juxtaposing ancient and modern), a translucent map (allowing both the historic and prehistoric layers to be seen at once), and a satellite view (allowing viewers to locate individual buildings and features relative to ancient agriculture). By sliding the maps back and fourth, our audience can become more conscious of the how places of relevance to them have changed over time. We have consulted with the tribal and archaeological communities to ensure that project is both culturally sensitive and accurate. We have also developed content to go alongside our maps, to provide viewers another way to appreciate the past, and it’s relevance to the present.