Although there are several resources for storing and accessing geochronological data, there is no standard format for exchanging geochronology data among users. Current systems are an inefficient mixture of comma delimited text files, Excel spreadsheets and PDFs that assume prior specialist knowledge and force the user to laboriously and potentially erroneously extract the required data manually. With increasing demands for data interoperability this situation is becoming intolerable not only among researchers, but also at the funding agency level. Geoscience Australia and partners are developing a standard data exchange format for geochronological data based on XML (eXtensible Markup Language) technology that has been demonstrated in other geological data applications and is an important aspect of emerging international geoscience data format standards. This presentation will discuss developments at Geoscience Australia and the opportunities for participation. Key words: Geochronology, data management, metadata, standards.

Launched in 2003, the Geoscience Australia National Petroleum Wells Database web site http://www.ga.gov.au/oracle/apcrc has proven an extremely useful tool for petroleum explorers wishing to access scientific and well header data for Australian petroleum exploration wells. This web site provides access to comprehensive databases representing over 100 person years of data entry by geologists, geochemists, biostratigraphers and technical staff. The databases contain information that includes well header data, biostratigraphic picks, reservoir and facies data (porosities, permeabilities, hydrocarbon shows and depositional environments), organic geochemistry data (Rock-Eval pyrolysis, molecular and isotopic analyses), and organic petrological data (vitrinite reflectance, maceral analyses). A major revision of the web site will be released at APPEA 2006. The revised web site has many improved features in response to industry and government client needs. These features include: 1 Easy retrieval of Acreage Release data, 2 An improved map for spatial searching and display of data, 3 Ability to retrieve age restricted and isopach data for many data types in the database, 4 Query and produce multiple summary reports (including graphs) for wells, 5 Generation of multiple oil and gas reports for wells, 6 Links to scanned documentation, and 7 Improved graphical displays of data.

This handbook was first released as BMR Record 1991/29 (Pain et al. 1991). One of the objectives of CRC LEME has been to produce a glossary and classification of regolith terminology, and a second edition of this handbook. The glossary of regolith terminology has already been released in draft form (Eggleton 2000), and this is the second edition of the mapping handbook. We have updated the attribute lists and other details to take account of changes to the RTMAP database structure. We have also changed some definitions to be consistent with the glossary. Otherwise, very little change has been made to the text. The archival RTMAP database resides in the AGSO Corporate Database, in the Oracle Database Management System (see Hazell et al, 1995 for details). Some details, including authority tables, can also be found on the AGSO World Wide Web site, at http://www.agso.gov.au, under Services. There is currently work under way to enable users to enter data from remote locations via the World Wide Web. This facility will be advertised on both the CRC LEME and AGSO web pages when it is available.

Many of the methods commonly used to calculate gravity anomalies have been around since the beginning of gravity surveying when calculations were done by hand and local horizontal and vertical datums were used. These days computing power is not a concern and most surveys are carried out using GPS technology with global datums. Geoscience Australia is reviewing the methods used to calculate gravity anomalies in the Australian National Gravity Database and is proposing changes such as the use of the GRS80 reference ellipsoid for calculating normal gravity and also as the height datum for anomaly calculations.

The Australian Fundamental Gravity Network defines the datum, Isogal84, for gravity surveys conducted in Australia and the surrounding oceans. It consists of over 900 gravity stations at over 250 locations. Geoscience Australia has conducted measurements with a portable absolute gravity meter at a number of these stations in order to improve the accuracy of this network and to provide a consistent framework for gravity surveyors. These absolute gravity measurements show that Isogal84 is 75 microgals (1 microgal = 1x10-8 m/s2) higher than the absolute datum and that the accuracy of the stations within the network is approximately 30 microgals.

The recording of continuous waveform data presents different challenges to the recording of event triggered segmented data or to the recording of semi-continuous yet offline data. Many formats in use today derive their origins from the earlier imperatives of such systems. This article will briefly classify such formats so as to better appreciate continuous format requirements. Following this a comparison will be made of continuous formats and the format adopted for use in the Australian National Seismic Network (ANSN). The CD 1 format in detail, its use and adaptation within the ANSN will come after this. Some contextual background on networking will be provided and this will then be wrapped up by a section on where the ANSN may go in the future with CD 1. An appendix is provided to explain data conversion on the GDAS system.

Access to geoscience data via the web is made easier for clients if all servers provide a common interface. The OGC?s Web Feature Service (WFS) defines a standard http-based service description and request syntax, using GML for the data encoding. A GML application schema for the feature-types, such as XMML, completes the definition of the service interface. This service configuration was trialled in a testbed involving government geological survey organisations serving geochemistry data from three adjacent jurisdictions in Australia. The three organisations had quite different data-store software and storage schemas. The testbed focussed on 1. the design of feature-types for specimens and measurements to support a realistic mineral exploration scenario 2. the request syntax, in particular restricting the query-model to limit the load on the server while satisfying the use-case 3. configuration of the server-layer, to translate the result-set from the private model to the GML application language representation 4. deployment of multiple applications that connect to the services and provided a merged view of the results, in map, tabular and report form. Modifications to the open-source Geoserver and Geotools software (used in all three service instances) required to accomplish the testbed have been contributed to the Geoserver codebase. Several limitations in the WFS specification were identified, and are now subject of change-requests to through the OGC specification maintenance process. Significant technology skills were transferred into the participating organisations as a result of the testbed. Several additional jurisdictions have indicated an intention to join the geochemistry testbed, and a follow-on testbed involving lease-areas (i.e. complex non-point-located data) is underway. The testbed has clearly demonstrated the value of common feature types on the public interface, creating a marketplace for information sharing through commodification of the data-product.

one page discussion on the value of defining stratigraphic units TAG ISSN: 0312 4711

The current Australian gravity datum, Isogal84, is defined by the Australian Fundamental Gravity Network (AFGN). The AFGN consists of more than 950 stations at over 250 locations throughout Australia with the first stations in the network being established in the early 1950's. Prior to Isogal84, the datum was based on relative ties to overseas sites. The Isogal84 datum is based on 5 absolute gravity sites within Australia that were established in 1979 using a Soviet absolute gravimeter. Absolute gravity measurements conducted at 60 AFGN sites by Geoscience Australia using a portable absolute gravimeter have shown that the Isogal84 datum is 78 microgals (1 microgal = 1x10-8 m/s2) higher than the absolute measurements. A new gravity datum, the Australian Absolute Gravity Datum 2007 (AAGD07), has been defined based on these absolute gravity measurements and the AFGN and the Australian National Gravity Database (ANGD) have been adjusted to this new datum. Concurrent with implementing AAGD07, the formulae used for reducing gravity data in the ANGD have been reviewed and updated. These changes include using the 1980 International Gravity Formula, ellipsoidal heights, and a spherical cap bouguer correction that accounts for the Earth's curvature. These new formulae provide more accurate anomalies, particularly in longer wavelengths which will be beneficial to regional studies.

The Alkaline Rocks of Australia OZCHEM database subset is comprised of 927 wholerock analyses derived from AGSO field work and the literature. AGSO's complete OZCHEM database contains approximately 50000 analyses, mainly from Australia but some are also from Papua New Guinea, Antarctica, Solomon Islands and New Zealand. Approximately 32000 analyses of Australian rocks of all ages and some New Zealand Tertiary volcanics are available for sale. The location is stored with each analysis along with geological descriptions, including the host stratigraphic unit and lithology. Most samples have been collected by AGSO field parties.OZCHEM is stored in an ORACLE relational database and is available in Oracle export, comma-delimited relational ASCII, and Microsoft Access formats.