Geochemical Earth Reference Model: GERM Workshop (May 2003, Lyon, France) and Database Development

University Of California-San Diego Scripps Inst Of Oceanography, La Jolla CA

Investigators

Abstract

Staudigel EAR-0230121 The Geochemical Earth Reference Model (GERM) Initiative is a grass-roots effort to define the earth as one chemical and physical model system. On its path towards this goal, GERM holds workshops that define a scientific vision for an earth reference model and identify critical technical advances that are needed to move towards a GERM. GERM has addressed important problems in data publication, and it created a website with several databases that support global geochemical research. GERM workshops offer a bi-annual review of the earth as a chemical system, defining a state-of-the-art vision for GERM activities, and a forum for directing technical and scientific efforts most needed to advance a reference model of the earth. We propose here to expand the contents of GERM on line databases and we request funds for making the GERM website and database more convenient to use and better searchable. These efforts will make GERM into a much-used facility for geochemical research. Much of our development work will be focused on enabling community participation, through the development of a data population protocol and upload capabilities. This will eventually make GERM into a resource that is maximally self-sustaining with minimal (and therefore cost effective) help by a permanent database staff. Following our tradition of combining database activity with scientifically motivated workshops, we will hold a fourth GERM workshop in May 2003 in Lyon, France. We will be responsible for all non-local meeting organization, and contribute to participant costs for US scientists and graduate students.