1. CYBERNETWORK INTEGRATION OF CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHIC DATA CYBERNETWORK INTEGRATION 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 Paleontologist (Process 1) Geoscientist (Process 2) General Public (Process 3) Ease of data entry Application development Ontological development Ease of age retrieval –Absolute –Relative Research beta testing Education –Time and time scales –Absolute vs. relative –Methods Ease of age retrieval 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 Chronos Permian/Triassic boundary test bed Taxonomic revision of EGI database

5. StrataPlot

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

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