Seatown Virtual Field Trip
Site overview
This coastal virtual field trip covers the area to the east of Seatown in Dorset, SW England.
This area, which is part of the Jurassic Coast, is well known for its landslides. Around Seatown, the occurrence of a thick cap of sandy sediments (Lower Cretaceous) on top of clays is an important factor in slope failures. The soft, impermeable clay increases groundwater pressures and acts as a failure plane.
An impressive rotational landslide occurred to the east of Seatown in April 2021, and this can be viewed in the virtual field trip (as of May 2022). The following video, produced by the Jurassic Coast Trust, is worth a watch, both for the clear explanation and the remarkable photography and video captured soon after the failure occurred. There has been considerable change on the beach since, with extensive reworking of the landslide toe.
About the Seatown virtual field trip
This is an immersive, self-guided virtual field trip.
In other words, it is based around 360° imagery and provided without interpretation. The latter means it can be used flexibly for a wide range of educational purposes, although educators need to develop learner activities (e.g., worksheets) to suit their own requirements. There are plans to develop supporting resources, such as StoryMaps, for this site.
This resource was developed as part of the More Inclusive Fieldwork project, which explores how virtual fieldwork can be used to support (not replace) in-person field experiences.
The virtual field trip can be viewed on a wide range of devices although viewing it on a large monitor will provide a more immersive experience. Viewed in full screen mode is also recommended (for the same reason).
The virtual field trip includes background audio that will—or should—play by default. The sounds of breaking waves help create a more immersive experience, although this can be disabled using the menu below.
There are also embedded videos and photos – the latter using a zoom lens and providing much more detail than is possible through the panospheres alone. The videos are simple and broadly similar. Their purpose is to contribute to the sense of ‘being there’.
The virtual field trip comprises 14 locations.
A map of all the stops is available within the virtual field trip.
Imagery acquired: May 2022
- view on a wide range of internet-connected devices
- for greater immersion, view on a large monitor in full-screen mode
- includes environmental audio and video clips, so headphones or speakers recommended (but can be used without)
This resource was developed as part of the More Inclusive Fieldwork project, which explores how virtual fieldwork can be used to support (not replace) in-person field experiences.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.