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

How to herd stray cats 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

How to herd stray cats Significant benefits –Satisfies client demands –Future positioning (eScience) –Aligns GSV with external developments (GeoSciML) A new service delivery model

How to herd stray cats Geology has no respect for government from Brown & Stephenson, 1991

The Brave New World How to herd stray cats GeoSciML: a way to exchange digital data –New insights from existing data –A new set of problems –What are we exchanging?

Sharing digital data How to herd stray cats Digital data exchange requires 3 things: –Common data structure –Common delivery method –Common vocabulary

The stray cats… How to herd stray cats ‘…getting geologists to agree… is like trying to herd stray cats!’ — anonymous

A simple problem… How to herd stray cats 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… How to herd stray cats Many valid answers Geoscientists constantly test geoscience concepts Healthy and necessary part of a diverse science

The Brave New World How to herd stray cats Risk of losing value caught up in traditional media Computers cannot automatically adjust for: –Preferred terminology –Personal/house styles –Intent of the authors

How to herd stray cats 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 How to herd stray cats Keep the good, improve the bad –Flexible, expandable –Unambiguous, robust –Hierarchical –Understandable by a range of users –International standards vs. user requirements

GSV vocabulary How to herd stray cats Structured descriptive information = Terms + Schemes + Relations –Terms: definitions –Schemes: logical groups of terms –Relations: hierarchy, synonyms

GSV vocabulary How to herd stray cats Geological diversity? –GSV: 16 ways to describe a sandstone! –Hierarchy captures diversity (eliminates spelling mistakes…)

How to herd stray cats psammite wackestone Old scheme (flat list and free text) arenaceous arenite arkosic psammitic quartzwacke quartzwackes sand/sandstone sandstone sandstone/quartzite sanstone subgreywackes sublitharenite sublitharenites wacke GSV vocabulary

How to herd stray cats Scheme: descriptive rock name sandstone (psammite) arenite quartz arenite (orthoquartzite; quartzite) subfeldspathic arenite feldspathic arenite (arkose) sublithic arenite (sublitharenite) lithic arenite calcarenite wacke (wackestone) quartz wacke (quartzwacke) feldspathic wacke (arkose) lithic wacke (greywacke) GSV vocabulary clastic rock

How to herd stray cats GSV vocabulary after Le Maitre, 2002 (IUGS) rhyolitic rock alkali feldspar rhyolite rhyolite rhyodacite dacitic rock dacite trachytic rock alkali feldspar trachyte quartz alkali feldspar trachyte foid-bearing alkali feldspar trachyte trachyte peralkaline trachyte quartz trachyte foid-bearing trachyte latite quartz latite foid-bearing latite descriptive name interpretive name hyaloclastite peperite agglutinate autobreccia ignimbrite fragmental deposit GSV (after Jackson, 2004)

GSV vocabulary How to herd stray cats 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? How to herd stray cats A single, rigid vocabulary is not essential –Accommodate diversity –Encourage debate –Involve the broader community

Not impossible How to herd stray cats Australia is unique –Stratigraphic names database –Draft vocabularies working group –Common vocabulary for Australia –Influence international debate

Summary How to herd stray cats Common vocabularies are essential –No need to enforce single, inflexible terminology –Needs broad support –Australia is a unique environment

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