Sketching 3D Ripples and Dunes

Tom Hickson (University of St. Thomas) and Ilyse Resnick (Temple University)
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Summary

Students watch a video of the instructor sketching 3D ripples, then practice sketching 3D bedforms, both as seen by the viewer and as annotated 3D block diagrams.

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Learning Goals

After successfully completing this exercise, students will be able to sketch 3D bedforms, such as ripples and dunes.

Context for Use

I use this as an early 3D sketching exercise in my Sedimentology and Stratigraphy course. One key purpose is to help develop students' spatial visualization skills. It is preceded by an introduction to 3D sketching.

Description and Teaching Materials

Students watch a video of the instructor (me) sketching 3D ripples. I talk about what I am doing as I sketch. Students then make several sketches of 3D bedforms, both as seen by the viewer and as annotated 3D block diagrams.

How to sketch 3D ripples (Quicktime Video 15.5MB Apr30 14)

Drawing 3D ripples and dunes exercise (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 2.3MB May19 15)

Teaching Notes and Tips


This exercise was developed as part of a set of exercises to support 3D visualization skills. These exercises had an intended order. Instructors can pick and choose the exercises, but the order we intended was as follows:

  1. Introduction to 3D sketching
  2. Sketching block diagrams
  3. Sketching 3D Ripples and Dunes
  4. Slicing cylinders
  5. Slicing channels
  6. Slicing fruit
  7. Slicing rocks
  8. Slicing fossils

Assessment

I look over student sketches to see how well they are able to sketch the bedforms.

References and Resources

How to sketch 3D ripples (Quicktime Video 15.5MB Apr30 14)