Finding new minerals, an unexpected fault zone, aquifers, or weak soil layers is far from a game. Our future depends on such discoveries.
But it is technology built on a gaming engine which may help turn around the growing global shortage of geoscientists.
Seequent’s free-to-use Visible Geology web application is being used by earth science students around the world, allowing them to build, explore, and manipulate geology concepts in three dimensions.
Developed with leading game development studio CerebralFix, Visible Geology’s popularity is increasing. More than 200,000 students and educators from 117 countries now use it.
Visible Geology’s 3D models allow the next generation of geoscientists to explore and better understand the processes occurring beneath the Earth’s surface, while gaining hands-on experience with the tools and technologies that will shape their future careers.
Why geoscience education is in crisis
The talent crisis in the geoscience world is widely recognised. The number of geoscientists – geologists, geophysicists, engineering geologists and the like – in the industry is dropping, as many experienced practitioners retire and universities struggle to attract earth sciences students.
Several factors are at play. Students worry about job stability, given the boom-and-bust cycles in resource and mineral exploration, while the environmentally conscious worry about climate change and think geosciences are only working for the oil and gas industry. Career paths where students feel they could have a positive impact on the world around them, using modern technologies are appealing – Visible Geology prepares them for just such an entry into the digital age.
Many students have seen the health sciences, engineering, and computer science as safer options, due to persuasive marketing campaigns promoting them as providing more secure career paths. At school, they are not exposed to geoscience in the same way they are to other STEM fields.
Falling geoscience enrolments have encouraged cash-strapped universities to cut earth-science offerings, leading to even fewer students in those disciplines.
University geoscience programmes in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada have reported 30%-45% declines in student numbers in recent years. According to the American Geosciences Institute (AGI), there could be a shortage of around 130,000 geoscientists in the US alone by 2029.
The timing could hardly be worse. The world’s population is expected to exceed 8.5 billion by 2030, bringing with it greater demand for water, critical minerals, energy, and the renewable technologies needed to deliver it sustainably. Every one of those challenges begins beneath our feet. In short, humanity needs more geoscientists than ever, at precisely the moment it is producing the fewest.
Sharing this global concern, Seequent spearheaded Visible Geology as an exciting, hands-on, learning tool which helps students better understand geology concepts in 3D.
Visible Geology is a 3D web application which allows students to twist, fold, and slice geological layers, and is a leap ahead from relying on 2D maps and hard to visualise cross-sections which can require advanced abstract thinking to interpret.
Playing with technology is a great way to spark interest in geoscience. As Seequent Chief Executive Graham Grant points out, the key to the future will be geoscientists keen to focus on collaboration and adopt these kinds of cutting-edge technologies.
The challenge of visualising the subsurface
So much of our surface life depends on what is going on below ground. But we cannot naturally see the structures in the subsurface, which is a complicated mass of rock, water, faults, and folds.
In the past, 2D maps and cross-sections provided a rough indication of the subsurface for geoscientists, although the necessary extrapolation between data points could easily miss important structures, such as faults, magma chambers, or weak rock layers, which 3D software reveals straight away.
With 3D modelling and Visible Geology, the user can get a much better idea of the thickness and angle of layers, and rotate, zoom in, and zoom out to view their structure at any point.
A history tab also allows students to go backwards or forwards in time to see the effects on the subsurface layers of faulting, folding, and erosion.
Visible Geology also aims to bridge the gap between geology and practical engineering. Students can add real-world infrastructure – such as tunnels, piles, and foundations – directly within their models, to visualise how infrastructure interacts with underlying rock layers.
How educators are using Visible Geology today
Visible Geology modernises the earth sciences classroom.
Developed in partnership with the Science Education Resource Centre (SERC) at Carleton College and geoscience faculty members from the University of Canterbury, more than 15 new teaching materials are available to support educators using Visible Geology in their classes.
Visible Geology is also useful to prepare students ahead of a field trip. The AGI has a lesson plan with a 3D model of the Grand Canyon, helping students learn what to expect when they see it for themselves.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ / PAA Capture)
How much does Visible Geology cost?
It’s free to use.
Is a subscription needed?
No, anyone with internet access can use it. You can log in using your Google account to save and share your models.
Do I need to install software?
No, it runs in your web browser.
What structures can I model?
Visible Geology lets you build conceptual geological models with layers, faults, folds, topographies, cross-sections, and core samples. You can even explore stereonets and apparent dips with dedicated modules.
Can it model engineering structures?
A 2026 update adds the ability to insert real-world infrastructure like tunnels, piles, and foundations to your models, to see how they interact with rock layers and faults.
Are there teachers’ resources?
Yes, Seequent has collaborated with the Science Education Resource Centre (SERC), University of Canterbury, and the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) to provide a range of Visible Geology teaching resources, from secondary school to undergraduate levels (https://www.seequent.com/community/research-reports/visible-geology-lesson-plans/)
How can I learn to use Visible Geology?
We recommend starting with our how-to videos to learn the basics of Visible Geology.
Who is Visible Geology for?
Visible Geology is designed to support earth science educators and students from secondary school to early tertiary level education.