Collaborative ICS-NSF Workshop: Vouchering the Stratigraphic Record

地层学是地质学的经典学科之一。 从沉积岩的露头中收集的地层记录为“深时”的概念提供了基础，是地质时标的基础，揭示了地球历史上经常发生的戏剧性事件和地球上的生命。地层学是勘探和开发地球能源的基础，石油，天然气和煤随着时间的推移在沉积岩中形成。地层学家对沉积岩进行了细致的描述和取样，这些沉积岩在地表露头或钻井时被穿透。 不幸的是，这些信息中的大部分并不容易获得。 它散布在世界各地的地方、地区和国家出版物中，在公共和私人组织的档案中，以及在众多地质学家的个人记录中。 其中很少有被放置在基于计算机的、可公开访问的存储库中。 现在是时候启动一个计划，在地层信息产生时对其进行存档，并汇编过去收集的信息。 ICS-NSF联合研讨会“重新编制地层记录”的目的是制定启动这一长达数十年的计划的计划。 150年来，地层学家在世界各地测量和取样地层剖面。所获得的信息为重建地球历史和调查其重大事件提供了丰富的证据。 在不断进行的调查中继续收集信息，这些调查涉及多种多样的往往是综合的方法，这些方法使人们能够解决根本性的新科学问题。 不幸的是，所产生的大量信息中最重要的一部分并不容易为当前的地层学家所获取，今天收集的新数据也不多。 相反，它通过各种出版物和文件，电子和硬拷贝，个人和公共，在世界各地传播。 而且，从一代地层学家到下一代地层学家，许多遗留数据都丢失了。 这一损失严重限制了地层记录的现代研究，导致一门科学在各种不同的学科或方法、专家和地理区域之间支离破碎。 解决办法是国际地层学家建立一个可供公众查阅的地层存放处，存放世界各地正在进行和今后的调查所产生的所有数据，并最终将遗留数据存入存放处。 要启动这样一个雄心勃勃的长期项目，需要进行大量的思考和规划。 因此，拟议的ICS-NSF研讨会：重新编制地层记录将汇集一批代表全方位专业的经验丰富的地层学家，以充分考虑启动这一长期项目的所有重要方面。

Stratigraphy is one of the classic disciplines of geology. The stratigraphic record, assembled from outcrops of sedimentary rocks, provided the basis for the concept of "Deep Time", was the foundation for the Geologic Time Scale, and revealed the often-dramatic events in the history of the Earth and life upon it. Stratigraphy is fundamental in the exploration and development of Earth's energy resources with petroleum, natural gas, and coal having formed over time in sedimentary rocks. Stratigraphers have meticulously described and sampled the sedimentary rocks where they are exposed in surface outcrops or penetrated by well borings. Unfortunately, much of that information is not readily accessible. It is scattered worldwide through a great range of local, regional and national publications, in the files of public and private organizations, and in the personal records of a multitude of geologists. Little of it has been placed in computer based, publicly accessible repositories. The time is now to initiate a program of vouchering (archiving) stratigraphic information as it is produced and to compile information gathered in the past. The purpose of the Joint ICS-NSF Workshop "Vouchering the Stratigraphic Record" is to develop the plans for initiating this decades-long program. Stratigraphers have measured and sampled stratigraphic sections worldwide for 150 years. The information gained provided a wealth of evidence for reconstructing Earth"s history and investigating its major events. Information continues to be gathered in ongoing investigations that involve a great diversity of often-integrated methods that allow for fundamentally new scientific questions to be addressed. Unfortunately, a most significant part of the wealth of information generated is not readily accessible to the current community of stratigraphers, and neither is much of the new data being gathered today. Instead, it is dispersed through a great range of publications and files, electronic and hardcopy, personal and public, worldwide. And much of the legacy data is lost from one generation of stratigraphers to the next. This loss seriously limits modern studies of the stratigraphic record and results in a science that is fragmented among various, diverse disciplines or methods, specialists and geographic regions. The solution is for the international community of stratigraphers to establish a publicly accessible stratigraphic repository for all data generated in ongoing and future investigations worldwide and eventually to place legacy data in the repository. To initiate such an ambitious, long-term project requires considerable thought and planning. Accordingly, the proposed ICS-NSF Workshop: Vouchering the Stratigraphic Record is to bring together an international group of experienced stratigraphers representing the full range specialties in order to fully consider all important aspects of initiating this long term project.