CYBERNETWORK INTEGRATION OF CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHIC DATA

1. CYBERNETWORKINTEGRATION OF CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHIC DATA ACCESSIBLE AGE INFORMATION FOR A BROAD USER CLIENTELE Paul J. Sikora, Associate Professor Emil Platon, Research Assistant Professor Energy & Geoscience Institute at the University of Utah

2. The Challenge • How to make a database (e.g., EGI research database) designed for the professional paleontologist available to the general public? • Constructed at Amoco Exploration (1964-1998) • Technician-based data entry and manipulation • Very user-unfriendly • There are many such databases.

3. Template for Database Conversion Starting System Cybernetwork Integration

4. Paleontologist User (Process 1) • Application development – graphic correlation • StrataPlot (Emil Platon) • Point-and-click ease of use • Software and starting composite standard available to users as downloads • Easy data entry – Excel format • User data • EGI research data (~2400 localities) • Beta-testing • Calibration tool for ChronosPermian/Triassic boundary test bed • Taxonomic revision of EGI database

5. StrataPlot

6. Database Integration (Process 1) Register DBs with GEON Grid • e.g., EGI/Arizona linkage Matching Keys; e.g. Site = Location Match similar attributes Data retrieval; e.g.: “68-71.3 Ma”, “Early Maastrichtian, or “Late Cretaceous” Set up unique attribute values e.g.: use consistent environment descriptors Run integration tests for shared localities in North America

7. Geoscientist User (Process 2) • What’s the age? • Age constraints for multidisciplinary modeling • e.g., basin models, sequence stratigraphy, etc. • Age retrieval without need for specialist knowledge • e.g., EGI database; age stored as lines of correlation • Algorithm to convert to relative and/or absolute age • Whole section, sample, sample range

8. Time Scale (Process 2) • GEON needs tie to widely recognized “standard” time scale • Chronos scale • System centerpiece • Unveiled at IGC meeting – Aug. 2004 • EGI database • Over 700 localities need to be recalibrated against new time scale • Development of automatic process

9. Data Acquisition (Process 2) • GEON test bed support; e.g. Appalachians

10. General Public User (Process 3) • Shared data retrieval issues with Process 2 • Educational outreach • Leverage several sources, e.g., • Chronos timescale page • Joint development of stratigraphic definitions and exercises/tutorials with U. Arizona • Other existing sources; DLESE, USGS, etc.

11. Progress Report • Complete or nearing completion • Appalachian data gathering and composite standard construction (Process 1) • StrataPlot graphic correlation software (Process 1) • EGI database table structure revision for broad-based age retrieval (Process 2) • In progress • Integration with U. Arizona databases (Processes 1-3) • Population of new database fields (Processes 1-3) • Recalibration of ~700 calibrated EGI localities (Processes 1-3)

12. Year 3 Activities • Completion of • Integration with U. Arizona • EGI locality calibration • Algorithm for Processes 2, 3 age retrieval • Public availability for StrataPlot • Permian/Triassic boundary calibration with Chronos • Ontological integration with GEON • Beta test = basin modeling for Appalachian test bed • Continuation of taxonomic revisions