Purpose

The GEODESC application tool set was designed and built in 2019-2022 to support geological core description and micropaleontological data capture on the scientific drilling vessel JOIDES Resolution (JR). The GEODESC system includes five browser-based user applications backed by an Oracle database. The application features were designed to optimize the workflow on the JR based on decades of experience with coring projects all over the worlds' oceans, recovering a broad spectrum of Earth materials.

Design concepts (or better, Working principles? ...)

GEODESC is based on the widely used and user-approved method of capturing observational data in spreadsheets. A row represents a description interval or domain, with any number of observations as configured by the user. The first set of 13 fixed columns defines the scope of description (sample identity, sample interval, computed depth, etc.), and any number of configurable columns define observables, where each observable can have its own validation rules. A project uses multiple spreadsheet templates based on the scale, type and objective of observations.

GEODESC allows observers to use existing templates from a catalog, configured based on the experience gathered during decades of scientific ocean drilling with hundreds of expeditions. Users can also modify existing templates or create completely new ones.  

The two main user applications are the Template Manager application (TM) and the Data Capture application (DC). All observers use DC to enter observations. Template makers use TM to modify templates, and not all observers need to be template makers. In the typical group-based core description workflow on the JR, one scientists on each 12-hour shift may be the designated template maker who modifies templates based on group consensus. The template making process typically concludes early in the project, with possible minor changes later on. 

Observers select one or more templates for a hole (and optionally a subset of cores) to create worksets, which are the instantiated as workbooks that only one observer can use for data entry. Observers must release worksets for others to be able to create worksets using the same templates and cores. All observers can check the workset dashboard at any time to see who is working on what.

System architecture

Figure 1: Schematic overview of GEODESC users, user applications, and database 'backbone'.

Limitations for external use

The GEODESC tool set is taking advantage of existing tools and resources on the JR for efficient data gathering and reporting, and therefore cannot easily be used outside the JR computing infrastructure. Most importantly, GEODESC is using

• the sophisticated sample registry that evolved over decades to accommodate user needs, and
• depth computation business rules for standard depths and alternate depths

If GEODESC was to be fully used in another organization, these resources would have to be replicated or replaced.

However, external projects can take advantage of the GEODESC catalog resources and final product data files, all available in tab-delimited text format, and use them in commercial spreadsheet programs with or without adding sample registry and data validation functions.