DEVELOPMENT OF A USER-ORIENTED SEDIMENT DATABASE: A MULTIFACETED TOOL FOR ANALYSIS OF OFFSHORE SEDIMENTS OF THE ATLANTIC CONTINENTAL MARGIN

Relational geological databases capable of managing lithologic, texture, stratigraphic, mineralogic, and chemical data are rare. Reasons include 1) the inherent complexity of geological materials, and the variability in ways these are described and quantified; 2) the normal practice of generating data in flat-file structures that may be poorly compatible between different organizations and research groups; 3) the generic problem of translating flat-file structures to relational format; and 4) the operating cost of large database management software systems. Whereas these may have the potential capacity to deal with large data sets, diversity of data and output needs, their costs are often too great for small and middle-sized operations. Interagency meetings among federal, state, and academic organizations have identified 22 significant data sets for offshore sediments along the Atlantic Margin, suitable for sand and gravel resource assessment and environmental evaluation. However, until recently, data integration has been elusive. During 2001, the USGS and cooperators completed a comprehensive database structure for offshore sediments and is loading it with legacy data sets from the Atlantic continental margin. The new system is designed to accept and integrate heterogeneous data from diverse sources, and to foster cooperation with organizations generating or using offshore sediment data for assessing sand and gravel resources, environmental, and other coastal issues. The goal is to fill the need for a relational database system usable by scientists and technical staff without specialized database management training. Early results demonstrate useful display output from diverse sources, enhanced data resolution and mapability.