DIGITAL 3D MODELS OF MINERALS AND ROCKS IN A NUTSHELL: ENHANCING SCIENTIFIC, LEARNING, AND CULTURAL HERITAGE ENVIRONMENTS IN GEOSCIENCES BY USING CROSS-POLARIZED LIGHT PHOTOGRAMMETRY, Carpathian Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences, February 2021, Vol. 16, No. 1, p. 237 – 249; DOI:10.26471/cjees/2021/016/170 - Carpathian Journal of Earth And Environmental Sciences

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Andrei-Ionuț APOPEI^1*, Nicolae BUZGAR¹, Andrei BUZATU¹, Andreea-Elena MAFTEI² & Liliana APOSTOAE¹

¹Department of Geology, Faculty of Geography and Geology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi, 20A Carol I Blv., 700505 Iaşi, Romania, Corresponding author: andrei.apopei@uaic.ro

²Institute for Interdisciplinary Research — Science Research Department, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi, Lascar Catargi Str. 54, 700107 Iaşi, Romania

DIGITAL 3D MODELS OF MINERALS AND ROCKS IN A NUTSHELL: ENHANCING SCIENTIFIC, LEARNING, AND CULTURAL HERITAGE ENVIRONMENTS IN GEOSCIENCES BY USING CROSS-POLARIZED LIGHT PHOTOGRAMMETRY, Carpathian Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences, February 2021, Vol. 16, No. 1, p. 237 – 249; DOI:10.26471/cjees/2021/016/170

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Three-dimensional (3D) minerals and rocks in the form of interactive, engaging, and immersive experiences are of paramount importance to the geoscience community, researchers, students, and philomaths. Moreover, the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) crisis affecting our society in the spring of 2020 highlighted the importance of 3D material in geoscience education — compared to 2D images, the three-dimensional models provide a better way to learn and to recognize different minerals and rocks, properties, textures, etc. This paper seeks to provide a comprehensive method to create an interactive scientific, learning, and cultural heritage environment in the field of Geosciences. In this paper, we overcome most of the Structure-from-Motion - Multi-View Stereo (SfM-MVS) photogrammetry limitations, where samples with a transparent, translucent, or glossy surface are a real challenge for the feature detection algorithms of the SfM workflow. Correct lighting setup, the usage of cross-polarized light photogrammetry workflow, anti-reflection coating spray and post-processing steps are the essential ingredients for an enhanced photogrammetric study. The main output of this research consists of a comprehensive virtual 3D collection of minerals and rocks which are available online via the Sketchfab repository of the Museum of Mineralogy and Petrography “Grigore Cobălcescu” (https://sketchfab.com/MineralogyPetrographyMuseum).