GeoSciML v3 (www.geosciml.org) and EarthResourceML v2 (www.earthresourceml.org) are the latest releases of geoscience data transfer standards from the IUGS-CGI Interoperability Working Group (IWG). The data standards each comprise a UML model and complex features GML schemas, extending the spatial standards of the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), including GML v3.2, O&M v2, and SWE Common v2. Future development of GeoSciML and EarthResourceML will occur under a collaborative IUGS-OGC arrangement. GeoSciML covers a wide range of geological data, including geological units, structures, earth materials, boreholes, geomorphology, petrophysical properties, and sampling and analytical metadata. The model was refactored from a single application schema in version 2 into a number of smaller, more manageable schemas in version 3. EarthResourceML covers solid earth resources (mineral occurrences, resources and reserves) and their exploitation (mines and mining activities). The model has been extended to accommodate the requirements of the EU INSPIRE data sharing initiative, seeing the addition of mineral exploration activity and environmental aspects (ie, mining waste) to the model. GeoSciML-Portrayal is a simple-features GML application schema based on a simplified core of GeoSciML. It supports presentation of geological map units, contacts, and faults in Web Map Services, and provides a link between simple-feature data delivery and more complex GeoSciML WFS services. The schema establishes naming conventions for fields commonly used to symbolize geological maps to enable visual harmonization of map services. The IWG have established a vocabulary service at http://resource.geosciml.org, serving geoscience vocabularies in RDF-SKOS format. Vocabularies are not included in GeoSciML and EarthResourceML, but the models recommend a standard pattern to reference controlled vocabularies using HTTP-URI links. GeoSciML and EarthResourceML have been adopted or recommended as the data exchange standards in key international interoperability initiatives, including OneGeology, the INSPIRE project, the US Geoscience Information Network, and the Australia/NZ Government Geoscience Information Committee.

Short article about stratigraphy matters. ISSC, new ASUD State search tool, Timescale, comparisions with British geological practices. ISSN: 0312 4711

The Australian Stratigraphic Units Database (ASUD) is the lexicon of Australian stratigraphy, maintained by Geoscience Australia on behalf of the Australian Stratigraphy Commission (ASC). Initiated in 1949 as the Australian Central Register of Stratigraphic Names, the ASUD became a digital database in 1979, and is now accessible through the Geoscience Australia website (http://www.ga.gov.au/products-services/data-applications/reference-databases/stratigraphic-units.html) with search capabilities on attributes such as name, rank, age, state, and geological province. The ASC includes representatives from all Australian states and territories (generally government geologists) who work together to maintain the consistency, accuracy and currency of information in the database. This includes resolving stratigraphic differences across political borders and between researchers to maintain it as a truly authoritative national resource. The database is continually updated with information collated from all publications that describe Australian stratigraphic units, including journal articles and Geological Survey maps and publications. Where possible, data quality within the ASUD is enforced by codelists (eg, rank, lithology, age, age determination method, relationship types). Information includes unit definitions, currency, rank, location, age, lithologies, composition, and environment of formation. It also includes relationships with other units (eg, overlying, intruding, correlated units), hierarchy (constituent and parent units), previous names, related geological provinces (eg, basin, craton), and links to all publications that reference a stratigraphic unit. The ASUD is a central cog in Australia's national digital geological datasets. It is the repository of all unit descriptions in the national digital geological map datasets, and is linked to the national mineral deposits, geological provinces, and geological samples databases.

In this age of state-of-the-art devices producing analytical results with little input from analytical specialists, how do we know that the results produced are correct? When reporting the result of a measurement of a physical quantity, it is obligatory that some quantitative indication of the quality of the result be given so that those who use it can assess its reliability. Without such an indication, measurement results cannot be compared, either among themselves or with reference values given in a specification or standard. It is therefore necessary that there be a readily implemented, easily understood, and generally accepted procedure for characterising the quality of a result of a measurement, that is, for evaluating and expressing its 'uncertainty'. The concept of 'uncertainty' as quantifiable attribute is relatively new in the history of measurement, although error and error analysis have long been part of the practice of measurement science or 'metrology'. It is now widely recognised that, when all of the known or suspected components of error have been evaluated and the appropriate corrections have been applied, there still remains an uncertainty about the correctness of the stated result, that is, a doubt about how well the result of the measurement represents the value of the quantity being measured. This presentation will discuss the latest practices for the production of 'reliable' geochemical data that are associated with small measurement uncertainties, and will provide an overview of current understanding of metrological traceability and the proper use of reference materials. Correct use of reference materials will be discussed, as well as the role of measurement uncertainty and how it is affected by such issues as sample preparation, sample heterogeneity and data acquisition.

GSA Abstracts

single page item on Australian stratigraphy issues. This column discusses ongoing co-operation between the State and Territory Surveys; highlights of a trip to the Northern Territory and changes to GA web pages Journal ISSN 0312 4711

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.

Proceedings of the Second National Forum on GIS in the Geosciences, 29 - 31 March 1995, held at the National Library of Australia.

Part-page article on matters relating to Australian stratigraphy. This column discusses what constitutes a publication for the purpose of establishing and formalising stratigrphic units. ISSN: 0312 4711

GeoSciML version 3.0 (http://www.geosciml.org), released in late 2011, is the latest version of the CGI-IUGS* Interoperability Working Group geoscience data interchange standard. The new version is a significant upgrade and refactoring of GeoSciML v2 which was released in 2008. GeoSciML v3 has already been adopted by several major international interoperability initiatives, including OneGeology, the EU INSPIRE program, and the US Geoscience Information Network, as their standard data exchange format for geoscience data. GeoSciML v3 makes use of recently upgraded versions of several Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) and ISO data transfer standards, including GML v3.2, SWE Common v2.0, and Observations and Measurements v2 (ISO 19156). The GeoSciML v3 data model has been refactored from a single large application schema with many packages, into a number of smaller, but related, application schema modules with individual namespaces. This refactoring allows the use and future development of modules of GeoSciML (eg; GeologicUnit, GeologicStructure, GeologicAge, Borehole) in smaller, more manageable units. As a result of this refactoring and the integration with new OGC and ISO standards, GeoSciML v3 is not backwardly compatible with previous GeoSciML versions. The scope of GeoSciML has been extended in version 3.0 to include new models for geomorphological data (a Geomorphology application schema), and for geological specimens, geochronological interpretations, and metadata for geochemical and geochronological analyses (a LaboratoryAnalysis-Specimen application schema). In addition, there is better support for borehole data, and the PhysicalProperties model now supports a wider range of petrophysical measurements. The previously used CGI_Value data type has been superseded in favour of externally governed data types provided by OGC's SWE Common v2 and GML v3.2 data standards. The GeoSciML v3 release includes worked examples of best practice in delivering geochemical analytical data using the Observations and Measurements (ISO19156) and SWE Common v2 models. The GeoSciML v3 data model does not include vocabularies to support the data model. However, it does provide a standard pattern to reference controlled vocabulary concepts using HTTP-URIs. The international GeoSciML community has developed distributed RDF-based geoscience vocabularies that can be accessed by GeoSciML web services using the standard pattern recommended in GeoSciML v3. GeoSciML v3 is the first version of GeoSciML that will be accompanied by web service validation tools using Schematron rules. For example, these validation tools may check for compliance of a web service to a particular profile of GeoSciML, or for logical consistency of data content that cannot be enforced by the application schemas. This validation process will support accreditation of GeoSciML services and a higher degree of semantic interoperability. * International Union of Geological Sciences Commission for Management and Application of Geoscience Information (CGI-IUGS)