CHRONOS SYSTEM - A NETWORK OF FEDERATED DATABASES AND TOOLS FOR SEDIMENTARY GEOLOGY AND PALEONTOLOGY

The CHRONOS System provides an open, community-based geoinformatics platform for storing, accessing, and analyzing sedimentary geological and paleobiological data. The full CHRONOS System includes a core Information Technology (IT) facility and databases, an international network of federated databases, tools, targeted development projects, and education-outreach activities. It is a new effort that reflects the merger of the two geoinformatics projects funded by NSF, CHRONOS (www.chronos.org) and PaleoStrat (www.paleostrat.org).

The CHRONOS System data include lithostratigraphic, biostratigraphic, taxonomic, sequence stratigraphic, cyclostratigraphic, geochronologic, major, trace, and isotope geochemistry, and other data and metadata relevant to sedimentary geology and paleobiology research. Analytical tools to date include Age Depth Plotting (ADP, user-based age model generation), CONOP9 (a stratigraphic sequencing tool), and other tools for analysis and visualization of data. The bulk of the data is currently contained in four main networked databases: PaleoStrat is the sample-based database engine for stratigraphic data; Neptune is CHRONOS's database for age-calibrated marine plankton occurrences from DSDP and ODP cores; Paleobiology (www.paleodb.org) and ODP's JANUS databases are federated to the network. The CHRONOS System continues to actively pursue collaborations with international groups and databases.

The CHRONOS System is partnering with PaleoPortal (UCMP - www.paleoportal.org), American Geological Institute, American Geophysical Union, National Association of Geoscience Teachers, National Earth Science Teachers Association, US Geological Survey, EARTHTIME (www.earth-time.org), and geoscience educators to develop educational resources that 're-humanize' scientific discoveries that have led to our current understanding of Earth history. We are also developing virtual reality applications aimed at conveying the concept of deep time and visualizing the processes involved in some of the most significant milestones in the history of Earth.