1. User interface

The Correlation Downloader application is a single-window Java interface allowing you to select data types from the LIMS database, select holes and cores, and set data download options. The downloaded data is formatted for easy import in the Correlator application.

Open

Figure 1. The Correlation Downloader user interface.

2. Load a control file (optional)

You can optionally Load a data control file if you generated such a file in an earlier session. It contains all settings last saved by the user/owner of the file. Note:  The file is not managed in LIMS, it is up to you to keep it on a local drive. To load a control file:

• Use the Browse button to navigate your directory.

• Click the Load button to set the control file configurations.

  • The data type and sample parameters tables are populated with the values from the control file.

  • If previously saved parameters are fine, nothing else needs to be done. Proceed to 2.4. If changes to data type parameters need to be made, use the Select data type panel.

3. Select data type and filters

Two windows/tabs are available for selecting data types, use the appropriate one to specify analysis/component to be downloaded:

•  Quick select lists the data types typically used for stratigraphic correlation.

• Generic select allows user to select any data parameter available in the LIMS database – this should rarely be needed.

Regardless of your parameter selection, each download will always update a Sections file in your specified download directory. This is a list of the sections corresponding to the sample range selected in the Select sample area (see below) with their length as well as top and bottom CSF-A depths. The Correlator (or equivalent) application can use this table to compute accurate splice interval boundaries.

A special feature exists in the Quick select list: Drilling Disturbance Observations. This selection generates a table file with rows of sample identities (expedition, site, hole, core, type, section top offset, bottom offset) and CSF-A depths, every 0.5 cm for the interval corresponding to the samples selected in the Select sample area (see below). In addition, the table has two columns for Disturbance intensity and Disturbance flag, respectively, with the values subsampled every 0.5 cm from the two corresponding DESClogik parameters logged by core describers. These table values can then be plotted in Correlator and used to assess visually the effect of drilling disturbance on the core logging data.

To select data types:

• Select the data type (component) you want to add to the filter.

  • Note: If the data type already exists in the settings display panel to the right, it must be removed using the Remove button before it can be added with new filter parameters. This is to avoid that multiple data files with different filters exist and are downloaded.

• While the data type (component) is selected, set the filter parameters:

  • Consider the Split by instrument option.

• In a few cases, a data type (e.g., GRA density, magnetic susceptibility) may have been collected on multiple instruments (e.g., two core loggers). By default, one file is created for all data, assuming the data are comparable for all practical purposes. If you want to split the data into separate files per instrument, click this checkbox.

  • Set the following optional filters as needed:

• Set minimum value in units reported for this parameter;

• Set maximum value in units reported for this parameter;

• Set section top trim as an interval (cm).

• Set section bottom trim as an interval (cm).

• Set “# of measurements” to be trimmed from top and bottom ends of section.

• Check “Exclude curated section end points” to eliminate measurements taken near the end caps, with irregular edge and useless results.

• Check “Exclude measurements past section curated length” to eliminate ‘data overlaps’ created when sections continue to ‘grow’ while being processed through the lab.

• Click Add button to add the parameter with its settings to the Settings panel.

  • Note: If you want to change the filter settings for a data parameter, first select the row with the previous settings and use the Remove button, then configure and add the new settings.

4. Set the hole and core

If changes to expedition, site, hole, and/or core are needed, use the Select sample panel.

• Enter site, hole (and core) selection in the sample selector to the left.

• Click the Add button to add the selection to the Settings panel.

  • Note 1: You can specify only one hole or one core at a time and add them to the Settings panel. Each row in the settings table will generate a file for each data parameter. You can add as many rows as needed.

  • Note 2: If you want to change the site, hole, core settings, first select the row with the previous settings and use the Remove button to remove them from the configuration table, then configure and add the new filter settings.

• IMPORTANT: If you want to append the data for a core to an existing hole file (to avoid redundant downloading of same data), check the Append core data to hole check box.

  • For this to work properly, the hole file to which you append core data must exist in your data folder without a core designation in the file name.

  • This probably isn’t an issue in the shipboard workflow as you first download whatever exists for the hole, and then later add individual core data as they become available.

  • However, if you first download core 1 explicitly and if you don’t remove the “-1” from the file names, your next download for core 2 will create a new set of files.

• ALSO IMPORTANT: Although the interface allows you to select multiple cores, you cannot download data for a set of cores (it’s a benign bug). You can either download all data for a hole, or all data for one core.

5. Apply an external cull file (optional)

In the Apply external interval culling file area, the user has the option to select and apply a list of intervals for which the data shall be culled. The intervals may originate from any source of information in any of the labs, and are entered by assigned users via Excel or a text editor.

About the file:

• Users keep the file on a local drive.

• The file layout has to follow the following column format: Site, Hole, Core, Coretype, Section, Top (cm), Bottom (cm), Comment(s).

• The format must be CSV.

To apply the culling file:

• Click the Browse button, navigate your directory, and select the file. The file and its path will be saved in the data control file so updated versions can easily be used in iterative data downloads.

• Click the Apply check box if you want the interval data to be culled.

• Click the Remove button to remove the path the file if you want to browse to a different file.

6. Save a control file (optional)

The user has a Save control file button to save the latest changes.

• The message “unsaved changes” appears in red next to the button if filter parameters were changed but not saved to the control file.

• You don’t need to save the parameters to the control file. The download will use whatever parameters are in the Settings display panels.

• You can keep multiple data control files on your local computer to choose from in future downloads.

7. Download the data

Use Download correlation data button to download the data file(s).

• A directory browser window will open where you can set the location for the files to be stored.

• A single CSV file will be created for each hole and data type.

• Best practice is to create a new folder for each site because (1) many files will be in use during an expedition project; and (2) user can more easily go back to working with a previous site.