Abstract. The restrictions implemented to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020 and 2021 have forced university-level educators from around the world to seek alternatives to residential physical field trips which constitute a fundamental pillar of geoscience programmes. The field-mapping course for 2^nd year Geology BSc students from the Cardiff University was replaced with a virtual mapping course set in the same area as previous years, the Esla Nappe (Cantabrian Zone, NW Spain). The course was designed with the aim of providing the students with the same methodology employed in physical mapping, gathering discrete data in stops located along five daily itineraries. Data included bedding attitude, outcrop descriptions with a certain degree of ambiguity, photographs and/or sketches, panoramic photos and fossil images. Data was provided to the students through georeferenced KMZ files in Google Earth. Students were asked to keep a field notebook, define lithological units of mappable scale, identify large structures such as thrust faults and folds with the aid of age estimations from fossils, construct a geological map on a hard-copy topographic map, draw a stratigraphic column and cross sections, and plot the data in a stereonet to perform structural analysis. The exercise allowed a successful training of diverse geological field skills. In the light of the assessment of reports and student surveys, a series of improvements for the future is considered. Though incapable of replacing a physical field course, the virtual exercise could be used in preparation for the residential fieldtrip.

中文翻译：

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Esla Nappe（西班牙西北部坎塔布连区）的虚拟实地考察：使用真实数据远程提供传统的地质测绘技能

摘要。为遏制 2020 年和 2021 年 COVID-19 大流行的蔓延而实施的限制迫使来自世界各地的大学教育工作者寻求替代住宅实地考察的方法，而实地考察是地球科学计划的基本支柱。2 ^nd场测绘课程来自卡迪夫大学的地质学学士学生被设置在与往年相同的区域 Esla Nappe（西班牙西北部坎塔布连区）的虚拟测绘课程所取代。该课程旨在为学生提供与物理绘图相同的方法，收集位于五个每日行程中的站点的离散数据。数据包括层理姿态、具有一定程度模糊性的露头描述、照片和/或草图、全景照片和化石图像。数据是通过谷歌地球中的地理参考 KMZ 文件提供给学生的。学生们被要求保留一个野外笔记本，定义可映射尺度的岩性单元，借助化石的年龄估计来识别大型结构，例如逆冲断层和褶皱，在硬拷贝地形图上构建地质图，绘制地层柱和横截面，并在立体网络中绘制数据以进行结构分析。演习成功地培训了各种地质领域的技能。根据报告和学生调查的评估，考虑了未来的一系列改进。虽然无法取代实地课程，但虚拟练习可用于为住宅实地考察做准备。