Antarctic Geologic Database: Rock Data and Sample Rescue

摘要本奖项支持南极地质资料收集计算机数据库的设计、开发、测试和实现，用于南极地质资料和样品的抢救。美国南极地质学界对在南极研究期间获得的岩石和化石收集和数据的安全管理和可访问性越来越有紧迫感。令人关切的是，花费巨大代价获得的样品，包括可能对新的调查方法有价值的样品，会丢失。人们还关心如何尽量减少南极洲地球科学研究对环境的负面影响，以及将来能否获得适当管理样品的资金。目前，缺乏集中管理南极样本的设施，极大地阻碍了现有样本在新项目中的潜在使用。关于样本的未发表信息存在于个别调查人员身上，但没有人试图将这些信息组织起来以改善科学。建立一个数据库是对南极岩石和化石材料进行更负责任的管理必须采取的合乎逻辑的第一步。南极地质数据库将是一个用户友好的系统，地质界可以通过万维网在Macintosh和基于ibm的个人计算机上访问。它可以方便地搜索、检索和加载美国地质学家在南极洲收集的地质信息。该设计将基于伯德极地研究中心遥感实验室合成孔径雷达图像和数据的在线存档和编目系统，但将专门设计用于处理南极和地质需求和信息。它将结合目前在俄亥俄州立大学的奥顿地质博物馆和美国及海外其他地方使用的博物馆收藏管理系统和岩石储存库数据库的最佳想法。

9626819 Askin Abstract This award supports the design, development, testing and implementation of a computer database for Antarctic geological collections, and to rescue Antarctic geologic data and samples. There is an increasing sense of urgency within the US Antarctic geologic community over the safe curation and accessibility of rock and fossil collections and data acquired during research in Antarctica. There is concern over the loss of samples obtained at great expense, including samples which are likely to be valuable for new lines of investigation. There is also concern over minimizing negative environmental impacts of earth science research in Antarctica, and over the availability of funding for proper curation of samples in the future. At present the lack of a centralized curation facility for Antarctic samples greatly inhibits potential use of existing samples for new projects. Unpublished information about samples exists with individual investigators but there has been no attempt to organize this for the betterment of the science. Development of a database is the logical first step that must be taken toward more responsible management of Antarctic rock and fossil materials. The Antarctic Geologic Database will be a user-friendly system accessible to the geologic community on Macintosh and IBM-based personal computers via the World-Wide-Web. It will allow easy search, retrieval and loading of geologic information collected by US geologists in Antarctica. The design will be based on the on-line archiving and cataloging system for the Synthetic Aperture Radar images and data in the Remote Sensing Laboratory at Byrd Polar Research Center, but will be specifically designed to handle Antarctic and geologic requirements and information. It will incorporate the best ideas of museum collections management systems and rock repository databases currently used in the Orton Geological Museum at the Ohio State University and elsewhere in the USA and ove rseas.