Earthbyte

Project Leader: Dietmar Muller, University of Sydney

Description

Earth processes over geological timescales cannot be understood outside of a plate tectonic context. However, no standard tool exists to explore the causes and effects of lithosphere-mantle interaction in accordance with past plate configurations. Our aim is to develop a Palaeo-Geographic Information System called EarthByte that will connect the open source and architecture-independent GPlates and GMT software, and implement XML-based service interfaces and databases. EarthByte will create the foundation for an e-geoscience framework for grid-based data access and Earth process modelling by linking geological and geophysical observations to palaeogeographic models for constraining mantle convection and lithospheric deformation.

GPlates provides an infrastructure for linking geological/geophysical observations and models to plate kinematic and geodynamic models. It is written in C++ and combines the ease of use of a well designed graphical user interface with a powerful mathematical backend that allows researchers to easily acquire, investigate, and manipulate plate tectonic data.

GPlates is designed to maximise leverage with technologies developed in international sister projects such as the Trond Torsvik's plate reconstruction project at the Norwegian Geological Survey and the NSF-funded CHRONOS project. It is further designed to provide a bridge between plate tectonic and paleogeographic data management, research, and associated computing and business needs.

The project was part of the Geoscience Workflow project until late 2005.

Achievements

2H2005

Created an extensive set of EarthByte web pages at www.earthbyte.org [1] which details all current EarthByte infrastructure development and research activities. A set of GPlates Markup Language (GPML) development pages can be found at: www.earthbyte.org/Resources/resources_gpml.html [2] and the current GPML structure can be viewed at: http://www.geosci.usyd.edu.au/pmwiki/pmwiki.php?n=GPlatesGML.PublicGPMLSnapshot [3].
Since July 2005, the GPlates Markup Language has progressed to a comprehensive draft object model. The first release of this model is expected to be finished during March 2006. The model will be subsequently used to create the GPML 1.5 Schema file, which will encapsulate existing PLATES data files in flexible XML form, and subsequent releases will update the model and schema to include additional functionality. It will build on the work of the OpenGIS consortiums GML and the SEE Grid XMML standards and become a part of the Grid community information model family.
A draft GML Application Schema has been written and verified against the GML 3.1.1 schemas using the "xsd" parser tool. GPML is to form the transmission layer of the EarthByte 4D data portal with GPlates at its centre. The GPML provides a standard conceptual model for the geophysics and geology community.

Plan and Milestones for 2006

Continued development of the Earthbye software to:

access time-sequence of global mantle convection model outputs on EarthBytes server (GMT netcdf files).
extract selected global GPML data from EarthByte server, coded by tectonic plate and geological age.
visualise mantle density anomaly in upper mantle and/or dynamic topography in a paleogeographic context. Investigate adjacency associations between igneous provinces and mantle upwellings/plumes through time and negative dynamic topography with sedimentary basins through time.

December

Design of the database for Earthbyte.
Populating the database with quality controlled data.
GPML2 development.
Link EarthByte data to geodynamic modelling software – primarily CitcomS.

Participating Organisation

University of Sydney

Resources for 2006

Total resources available to the project for 2006 are 0.50 efts (ac3: 0.50).
APAC is providing funds to support 0.25 efts (ac3: 0.25).