Earthchem Community

Workshops

EarthChem workshop on Cosmogenic Nuclide Dating

EarthChem held its third geochronology workshop on April 28, 2008. This was devoted to working with representatives of the CRONUS effort for Cosmogenic Nuclide dating to establish the necessary data structure for hosting and serving these data. The workshop was attended by John Gosse (Dalhousie), Nat Lifton (Arizona), Joe Licciardi (New Hampshire), Fred Phillips (New Mexico Tech), EarthChem PI Doug Walker, and EarthChem programmer Jason Ash. Greg Balco (University of Washington) also contributed comments. The workshop defined a workable data structure, and the controlled vocabulary is being developed. A final report should be available over the summer of 2008.

EarthChem workshop on Ar-Ar Dating

EarthChem held its fourth geochronology workshop on May 2, 2008. This was devoted to working with representatives of the EARTHTIME Ar-Ar group and others to establish the necessary data structure for hosting and serving these data. The workshop was attended by Anthony Koppers (Oregon State), Matt Heizler (New Mexico Tech), Al Deino (Berkeley), Paul Renne (Berkeley), EarthChem PI Doug Walker, and EarthChem programmer Jason Ash. Kip Hodges (Arizona State) also contributed comments. The workshop defined a workable data structure and the controlled vocabulary. A final report should be available over the summer of 2008.

Data Resources for the Geosciences: A MARGINS Interdisciplinary Mini-Workshop

Geoinformatics for Geochemistry and MGDS hosted an informal introduction to data resources:
GeoMapApp and the EarthChem, PetDB, SedDB geochemistry database systems.
Download the hands-on exercises (PDF 2.7MB)

GSA Lunchtime Workshop: Data Resources for the Geosciences

12:00 noon, Tuesday 30th October 2007
Room 606, Colorado Convention Center

Building a Global Data Network for Studies of Earth Processes at the World's Plate Boundaries

May 9-11, 2007, University of Kiel, Germany
An international workshop for scientists, data managers, and data policy makers to explore new opportunities for scientific research that take advantage of recent rapid growth in digital data collections and data systems technology. Current international efforts in Geoinformatics relevant for studies of continental margin and mid-ocean ridge processes were highlighted along with technical and political approaches for enhanced open exchange of key data of broad scientific interest. Co-sponsored by MARGINS, InterMARGINS, Ridge2000, InterRidge, and The Future Ocean Network at University of Kiel.
Download the workshop report (2.8 MB)

EarthChem Workshop on (U-Th)/He Geo/Thermochronology

May 10, 2007, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
Contact: Doug Walker
Second in a series of small workshops to define standards for geochronology data and metadata. This workshop was convened by EarthChem in partnership with GeoEarthScope.
Download the workshop report (260 KB).

GeoEarthScope and EarthChem - EARTHTIME Effort

April 9, 2007, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
At the GeoEarthScope town hall meeting held in association with the 2006 GSA national meeting, EarthChem was identified to become the home for geochronology data collected in association with GeoEarthScope. EarthChem will provide data management, storing and serving geochronological data submitted by participating facilities generating the geochronological data. The first of several small workshops are planned for 2007 met on April 9, 2007 to discuss U-Pb geochronology in connection with the EARTHTIME effort. Download the workshop report (452 KB).

Reporting of Geochemical Data and Metadata Working Group

April 2, 2007, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Palisades, NY
The Working Group "Reporting of Geochemical Data and Metadata" established by EarthChem to begin defining recommendations regarding formats for data reporting in publications and for data submission to databases met recently with the goal of (a) to standardizing data reporting in publications and digital data collections to ensure availability and completeness of information relevant to the evaluation and long-term usability of geochemical data, and (b) improving the efficiency with which geochemical data and relevant metadata can be included in geochemical databases. Members of the working group are Drew Coleman (UNC), Steve Goldstein (LDEO), Rick Murray (BU), Vincent Salters (FSU), Frank Spear (RPI), Hubert Staudigel (UCSD), and Jeff Vervoort (WSU). Download the recommendations of the working group (148KB)

Xenoliths and EarthScope at the EarthScope National Meeting

March 27, 2007, Monterey, CA
Conveners: Kerstin Lehnert, Mihai Ducea, Randy Keller, Karin Block
Eighteen participants attended the EarthChem xenoliths workshop at the recent EarthScope National Meeting. Short presentations and a demonstration of the EarthChem Deep Lithosphere Dataset were followed by a lively discussion on the future direction of the dataset. Download the full report and recommendations (1MB)

Xenoliths and GeoFrame: Advanced Data and Sample Management

The EarthChem effort identifies, through community outreach and consensus, new and critical datasets that need to be developed to complement existing data resources. The first major undertaking is the compilation of information for xenoliths of the Deep Lithosphere; this was outlined in the EarthChem proposal and endorsed by both reviewers and the EarthChem Advisory Committee. The effort is especially timely in that a comprehensive xenolith database was identified as a critical need to the geological and geophysical community in relation to the GeoSwath (former GeoFrame) initiative associated with EarthScope (see EOS article by Tikoff et al., 2006 PDF).
Read the report of the EarthChem workshop: "Xenoliths & GeoFrame: Supporting New Science with Advanced Data and Sample Management" PDF