Establishing vocabularies for the exchange of geological map data —how to herd stray cats Linda...

Establishing vocabularies for the exchange of geological map data —how to herd stray cats

Linda Bibby, GeoScience Victoria

How to herd stray cats

Introduction

GSV: new service delivery model– structured descriptive information– common vocabulary

Geological map data exchange– common vocabularies are

fundamental

A solution? – broader geoscience community


New way to store geological map data – Wider range of richer data– Improved work flows and products– Capture once, store once– Deliver many times, many ways

A new service delivery model


Significant benefits – Satisfies client demands– Future positioning (eScience)– Aligns GSV with external

developments (GeoSciML)

A new service delivery model


Geology has no respect for government

from Brown & Stephenson, 1991

The Brave New World


GeoSciML: a way to exchange digital data

– New insights from existing data– A new set of problems– What are we exchanging?

Sharing digital data


Digital data exchange requires 3 things:– Common data structure– Common delivery method– Common vocabulary

The stray cats…


‘…getting geologists to agree… is like trying to herd stray cats!’

— anonymous

A simple problem…


Name this rock

MAFIC ROCK (name based on colour index; observation)BASALT (type of volcanic rock; observation)SCORIA (textural term; observation)THOLEIITE (type of basalt; thin section examination)= THOLEIITIC BASALT (IUGS, 2002)BASANITE (type of volcanic rock; chemical analysis)ROUNDED COBBLE (particle size and shape)

The stray cats…


Many valid answers

Geoscientists constantly test geoscience concepts

Healthy and necessary part of a diverse science

The Brave New World


Risk of losing value caught up in traditional media

Computers cannot automatically adjust for:– Preferred terminology– Personal/house styles– Intent of the authors


Macedon Volcanic Group

Dmg

Dmw

Dmh

Unnamed

Willimigongong Ignimbrite

Hesket Ignimbrite

Granodiorite porphyry: dark grey; fine-grained with phenocrysts of quartz, feldspar, biotite; S-type intrusion.

Biotite-enstatite rhyodacite ignimbrite: dense blue-black; medium-grained; massive; recrystallised; pyroclastic deposits.

Rhyolite ignimbrite: red to dark grey; fine-grained; vitric-rich; with garnet phenocrysts; densely welded; pyroclastic deposits

from VandenBerg, 2005

GSV vocabulary


Keep the good, improve the bad

– Flexible, expandable– Unambiguous, robust– Hierarchical– Understandable by a range of users– International standards vs. user

requirements

GSV vocabulary


Structured descriptive information = Terms + Schemes + Relations– Terms: definitions– Schemes: logical groups of terms– Relations: hierarchy, synonyms

GSV vocabulary


Geological diversity?

– GSV: 16 ways to describe a sandstone!

– Hierarchy captures diversity (eliminates spelling mistakes…)


psammite

wackestone

Old scheme (flat list and free text)

arenaceousarenite arkosic

psammitic

quartzwacke

quartzwackes

sand/sandstone

sandstone

sandstone/quartzite

sanstone

subgreywackes

sublitharenite

sublithareniteswacke

GSV vocabulary


Scheme: descriptive rock name

sandstone (psammite)

arenite

quartz arenite (orthoquartzite; quartzite)subfeldspathic arenitefeldspathic arenite (arkose)sublithic arenite (sublitharenite)lithic arenitecalcarenite

wacke (wackestone)

quartz wacke (quartzwacke)feldspathic wacke (arkose)lithic wacke (greywacke)

GSV vocabulary

clastic rock


GSV vocabulary

after Le Maitre, 2002 (IUGS)

rhyolitic rockalkali feldspar rhyoliterhyolite

rhyodacitedacitic rock

dacitetrachytic rock

alkali feldspar trachytequartz alkali feldspar trachytefoid-bearing alkali feldspar trachyte

trachyteperalkaline trachytequartz trachytefoid-bearing trachyte

latitequartz latitefoid-bearing latite

descriptive name interpretive namehyaloclastitepeperiteagglutinateautobrecciaignimbritefragmental deposit

GSV (after Jackson, 2004)

GSV vocabulary


One solution to a problem

– Won’t work for everyone– No single ‘right’ answer– Broader geoscience community are

the only group who can endorse standards

Herding stray cats?


A single, rigid vocabulary is not essential

– Accommodate diversity– Encourage debate– Involve the broader community

Not impossible


Australia is unique

– Stratigraphic names database– Draft vocabularies working group– Common vocabulary for Australia– Influence international debate

Summary


Common vocabularies are essential

– No need to enforce single, inflexible terminology

– Needs broad support– Australia is a unique environment

A word from our sponsor


Visit the GSV booth

www.dpi.vic.gov.au/minpet/

Establishing vocabularies for the exchange of geological map data —how to herd stray cats Linda...

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