50 Earth As a Big Data Puzzle: Advancing Information Frontiers in Geoscience

Sunday, 4 November 2018
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Halls J-K

THE STRABOSPOT DIGITAL SYSTEM FOR GEOLOGICAL FIELD-BASED (STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY, SEDIMENTOLOGY, PETROLOGY), MICROSTRUCTURAL, AND EXPERIMENTAL DEFORMATION DATA

Paper number: 50-4
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 1:50 PM – 1:55 PM

Authors

Abstract

The StraboSpot data system was initially designed for the structural geology and tectonics community to standardize structural geology data collection, facilitate sharing of primary data, and promote interactions with other geoscience communities. In order to address the "long tail" of community adoption of digital data storage, we are expanding the data system to include other aspects of spatially based, geological field that are relevant to tectonics.

StraboSpot uses two central concepts to organize the data: Spots and Tags. A Spot is any observation that characterizes a specific area. Spots are related in a purely spatial manner (one spot encloses another spot, which encloses another, etc.). Tags, which have no inherent spatial meaning, link conceptually related spots. The data system is based on a graph database, rather than a relational database approach, to increase flexibility and allow geologically realistic relationships between observations and measurements. StraboSpot can be used either as: 1) A field-based application that runs on iOS and Android mobile devices in either internet connected or disconnected environments; and 2) A desktop system that runs only in connected settings and directly addresses the back-end database.

We leverage the same framework to expand usage to microstructures, experimental deformation, sedimentology, and petrology. The Spot-based system maintains spatial coverage from outcrops to thin-sections, with the same approach useable within a thin section (including a gridding system). For experimental deformation, data about experiments can be directly linked to thin-sections. For sedimentological data, we have introduced a Strat (stratigraphic) section view, in addition to the map view, and practitioners can toggle between these views. Additions for petrology include functionality for mineralogy and igneous and metamorphic features. We are also developing interoperability between StraboSpot, MetPetDB, and EarthChem databases.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 50, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2018AM-321925

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