DEVELOPING A FRAMEWORK FOR A DATA LIBRARY OF MARS ANALOG GEOSAMPLES

Over the course of the next decade or more, many thousands of geological samples will be collected and analyzed in a variety of ways by researchers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in order to interpret observations made of Mars rocks both in situ and here on Earth if samples are eventually returned. The Astrobiogeochemistry Lab (abcLab) at JPL is focused particularly on the detection and characterization of biosignatures in Earth geosamples that may help in the recognition of signs of past life on Mars. The primary challenges that this growing collection presents are the curation of the physical samples themselves as well as the integration and accessibility of the diverse data that are generated during their analysis.

The abcLab’s Sample Data Library (SDL) provides a secure and accessible online environment to facilitate collaboration and discovery among collaborating scientists. The data structure is sample-centered. Samples are associated with localities. Both samples and localities are associated with activities which may represent projects or events such as field trips or research programs. Raw and processed data are available for each type of laboratory analysis to which a sample is subjected. Media of any type or format are associated with samples, activities, localities, and analyses.

Physical samples include core and outcrop samples, rock powders, petrographic thin sections, and extracted organic fractions. Geological sample metadata are consistent with the standards developed by Integrated Earth Data Applications (IEDA), an NSF-funded program tasked with developing metadata standards for sample-based geoscience applications. Metadata are also aligned with the United States Geological Survey’s Geological Collections Management System (GCMS). In order to facilitate long term sample access and discovery, samples are registered with the System for Earth Sample Registration (SESAR) and assigned an International GeoSample Number (IGSN). Geochemical data are registered and deposited in the NSF-funded EarthChem repository hosted by IEDA. The inclusion of dataset DOIs and sample IGSNs in print and online publications should generate a web of relationships that will facilitate discoverability and access to Mars analog sample data.