T56 The Impact of Geoinformatics on Geoscience Research and Education (Posters)

Sunday, 28 October 2007
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM

GEOSPATIAL DATA PRODUCTS AS A TRANSFORMATIONAL RESOURCE FOR STABLE ISOTOPE SCIENCE

Paper number: T56-9
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 1:30 PM – 5:30 PM

Authors

Abstract

Natural variation in the abundance ratios of light stable isotopes (of H, C, N, O, and S) labels all materials with intrinsic markers that can reveal their source (e.g., of water, CO2, food, explosives), history (e.g., evaporation history, migration history), or reaction conditions (e.g., temperature of formation, chemosynthetic pathway). Isotopes are ubiquitous, and given adequate theoretical underpinning and observational context almost any accurate isotope measurement is informative. Hundreds of thousands of light stable isotope measurements have been reported in the scientific literature, and the cumulative body of knowledge derived from this work includes theories, models, and empirical determinations of key parameters. This information presents countless opportunities for researchers in the geosciences and beyond, but the decentralized nature of the data and ideas comprising light stable isotope science also present a serious challenge to exploratory activities of the type that would promote educational opportunities and foster ýintegration with outside fields.

We are pursuing the development of geoinformatics tools for data exploration and mapping of the spatiotemporal distribution of stable isotope ratios as a vehicle to promote transformational experiences in stable isotope science. Through websites including www.WaterIsotopes.org and a developing initiative termed INPort (the Isotope Networks Portal) we are deploying tools that synthesize stable isotope data, theories, and models to produce landscape-level simulations of the variation of stable isotope ratios in environmental substrates over space and time. These derived products document the isotopic labeling of geological and biological materials in a graphical map format, providing an intuitive and accessible interface to stable isotope science. The mapping tools are accompanied by tutorials documenting their theoretical, data, and methodological background and known applications, promoting accessibility for non-specialists. To date, the existing tools have been employed in educational curricula and promoted the transfer and application of knowledge from stable isotope science within the geosciences, biosciences, food science, forensic sciences, and international regulatory agencies.