Discover Earth Science at UniSA by exploring a series of virtual field trips taken by our students as part of their studies.
Start with a virtual expedition to see the rich history of building stones along North Terrace, immerse yourself in the world class fossil exhibits at the SA Museum, and open your eyes to the major environmental management issues along the Adelaide Metropolian coastline.
North Terrace
Building Stones
See Adelaide's main boulevard through the eyes of a geologist to reveal the rocky tales behind South Australia's building stone heritage.
South Australia is rich in building stone.
Given the historic lack of timber for construction, and even for fuelling brick kilns, building stone has been used more extensively here than in any other Australian state. From 1856–1923, South Australian legislation explicitly discouraged the use of inflammable building material in construction, thereby encouraging stone use.
A short walk along North Terrace, in the heart of Adelaide, reveals the rich diversity of South Australian building stone in numerous applications, both historic and modern. Pack your virtual notebook and hand lens to discover the rocky stories of Adelaide's development and the rich diversity of its geological heritage.
The North Terrace Building Stones Virtual Tour is available on Chrome and Firefox web browsers using Google Earth Web.
Content for this virtual tour is sourced from the North Terrace Geological Trail, a field guide authored by Prof Barry Cooper from the University of South Australia and published by the Geological Society of Australia (SA Division).
A digital copy of the field guide can be downloaded here.
SA Museum
Fossil Galleries
From a VR headset or web browser at the comfort of your own desk, or out and about on your mobile, explore some immersive 360 images and interactive exhibits of the world class SA Museum Fossil Galleries.
First Life: Ediacara Biota Gallery
Welcome to the Ediacaran Period - the birth of first life on Planet Earth!
The Ediacara biota lived in shallow seas about 550 million years ago - long before animal and plant communities. They span a range of unique morphologies and scientists today still debate which of them might have been early ancestors of animals (including humans).
Similar fossils are found all over the world, but all the fossils in this gallery are from the Flinders Ranges region and are considered to be some of the best examples anywhere in the world.
Cambrian Animals Gallery
Welcome to the Cambrian and the rise of the animals!
At 512 million years old, these fossils represent some of the oldest animals found in the fossil record. All the fossils here are from the Emu Bay fossil locality on Kangaroo Island in South Australia.
Proudly developed in collaboration with the South Australian Museum and the University of Adelaide.
Adelaide Metro Beaches
See how the significant environmental problem of coastal erosion along the Adelaide Metroplitan coastline is managed by taking a virtual journey through its record of landscape change.
Welcome to a virtual field trip along the Adelaide metropolitan coastline!
This exercise covers the area between Kingston Park to the south and Outer Harbor to the north.
As you will see, engineering and environmental science play a vital role in protecting this natural environment and preserving its sustainability.
See what UniSA students discover they act as environmental consultants investigating the record of modern and historical patterns of erosion and landscape change. In this role, their primary goal is to develop some recommendations for the metropolitan councils regarding strategies to address landscape management issues.
The Adelaide Metro Beaches Virtual Tour is available on Chrome and Firefox web browsers
using Google Earth Web.
