The Open Earth Framework (OEF) A Data Integration Environment for Earth Sciences G. Randy Keller - Univ. Oklahoma Matt Fouch - Arizona State Univ. Chris Crosby – SDSC Chaitan Baru – SDSC Dave Nadeu – SDSC John Moreland - SDSC

Motivations Integration of multidisciplinary data sets is essential to understanding the complex processes operating at the Earth’s surface and within its interior. Our current ability to collect massive amounts of digital data, develop structural models from these data, and generate high-resolution numerical models of dynamics is very well developed. Conversely, our ability to quantitatively integrate these data and models into holistic interpretations of Earth systems is poorly developed.

3 EarthScope Program km borehole into the San Andreas Fault 1099 permanent GPS stations 74 borehole strainmeters 5 laser strainmeters 100 Permanent seismic stations 1000s km 2 high resolution topography/InSAR 400 transportable seismic stations occupying 2000 sites 30 magnetotelluric systems 100 campaign GPS stations 2146 campaign seismic stations Geochronology Study the three dimensional structure and evolution of the North American Continent

EarthScope Data Portal portal.earthscope.org

CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE GEOSCIENCES Data layers - Input to aid in the construction of 3-D and ultimately 4-D models DEM (USGS, SRTM) Geology (mostly 1:500,000) Landsat 7 / ASTER / LIDAR Magnetic anomalies Gravity anomalies Petrology/Geochron (e.g. NAVDAT) Drilling data (State surveys, USGS) ………. To construct 3-D models, start with tomography; add gravity, geologic interfaces, seismic interfaces, …. Provide input for modeling of processes

A Scientific Effort Vector Background Background Research Research Data Collection and Data Collection and Compilation Compilation Software Issues Science Back- Back- ground ground Research Research Data Collection Data Collection and Compilation Software Issues and Compilation Software Issues Science Science Science - Analysis, Modeling, Interpretation, Discovery

Data Integration as a Workflow All data integration activities can be characterized generically as workflows that typically involve running the data through a series of processing stages to: – –Find the data – –prepare the data, – –remove outliers, – –format and filter data, – –grid the data – –derive other data products, – –visualize the results, – –produce a proposed “model” for a given region The integration process is necessarily iterative, leading to progressively refined earth system models, but it is rife with possible stumbling points and inefficiencies.

Data Integration Choke Points Frustrations and inefficiencies that come from wrangling and integrating disparate data to build a coherent model. Bottlenecks in the process of going from disparate sets of data to integrated models are workflow “choke points” that stall processing when data does not flow easily from one stage to the next. Custom ad hoc software “hacks” to stitch together tools and push past these choke points. Working through and tolerating such choke points is sometimes viewed as a “rite of passage” and necessary training. Learning to manage and prepare data is useful, but ultimately time would be better spent on analyzing data and building comprehensive models. Back- Back- ground ground Research Research Data Collection Data Collection and Compilation Software Issues and Compilation Software Issues Science

“PhotoShop Science” Choke point at the very end of the workflow, just shy of a publication-worthy diagram. Screen shots & outputs from different tools overlain them by hand in software such as PhotoShop to obtain the desired result. Difficult to reproduce a similar figure with improved data, and we have to regenerate the figure from the beginning, through all of the workflows again. “PhotoShop science” is a problem to be solved rather than lived with.

Seismic tomography result from the CD-ROM project Ken Dueker, University of Wyoming

Use open source software and openly available data Start with a tomographic model Add interfaces based on geophysics Add geologic detail Add topography Finish and place in a regional context The OEF

3-D is essential in geology Is this a plume, an intrusion, a salt dome, or a reef?

The ultimate goal in geophysics is.. Construction of 3-D volumes with as many physical properties as possible assigned to each volume element

Discontinuities are also important, and we need to be able to insert them and manipulate them We also want the results to be compatible with various modeling programs (e.g. groundwater, geodynamics) Figure by M. Billen, UCDavis

A number of geophysical techniques can produce 3-D voxel models (e.g., tomography), and others produce interfaces. The big challenges are to include interfaces in voxel-based models and to be able edit and visualize the models as one proceeds.

Reflection seismology provides an image of the subsurface whose geologic interpretation is often obvious.