Abstract

Geochronology, or rock age, data provides the vital fourth dimension to understanding the geological evolution of the Australian continent – and the mineral and energy resources it contains. Analytical instrument innovation means that acquiring large geochronology datasets is now relatively straight-forward and such data are eagerly sought by a variety of users in Government geological surveys, resource exploration companies and academia.

The OZCHRON database, hosted at Geoscience Australia, was intended as the national repository for geochronology information. Implementation issues and lack of scalability have limited the use of OZCHRON and Geoscience Australia has recently acknowledged that it is not a suitable platform upon which to build a national-scale interoperable data resource. Without a suitable system, geochronology data are laborious to manage and essentially unusable for the regional scale geological syntheses required by modern researchers.

The Chief Government Geologists Committee (CGGC) endorsed a proposal by Geoscience Australia to convene an Australian Geochronology Data Infrastructure Working Group as “A group representing key stakeholders and experts to discuss and advise on matters relating to the development of a national geochronology data infrastructure”. Within the next year, this group is charged with exploring options for a national geochronology infrastructure and providing the CGGC with a plan for future development – the so-called ‘Daughter of OZCHRON’.

This Birds of a Feather session is intended to provide a meeting point for anyone interested in contributing to the Working Group, a review of potential technology solutions such as geochronML and discussion about the management of geochronology data in general.

About the speaker

Keith Sircombe earned a B.Sc and M.Sc in Earth and Computer Sciences at University of Waikato, New Zealand (1990, 1993). His PhD (1998) at the Australian National University investigated the detrital mineral geochronology provenance of ancient and modern sediments in eastern Australia with an application of multi-variate analysis to SHRIMP age data. After post-doctoral positions at the Geological Survey of Canada and the University of Western Australia working on detrital provenance studies, Keith moved to Geoscience Australia in 2003. As well as interests in geochronology, Keith has been heavily involved in developing data processing, visualisation and management tools. At Geoscience Australia he has worked recently in the custodianship and development of geochronology data systems, including the prototype ‘geochronML’ model and the ongoing Radiogenic Geochronology and Inorganic Geochemistry information model. Keith is currently acting Project Leader of the new SHRIMP facility and is charged with leading the establishment of a Geochronology Data Infrastructure Working Group to advise the Chief Government Geologists Committee.