Collaborative Research: Elements - A Transparent-middle-layer computational and data management infrastructure for synoptic applications of cosmogenic-nuclide geochemistry

About This Grant

Cosmic radiation on the earth’s surface over long timescales creates rare forms (isotopes) of many minerals. These isotopes are known as cosmogenic nuclides. Measuring the relative abundance of these minerals provides insights into current and past processes that have shaped the earth’s surface, including erosion, tectonic processes, glaciation, and sea level changes. The scientific data on these processes is normally collected and measured by independently working groups of scientists, so having the capability to share the data in a consistent way is extremely important for reproducing scientific results, reusing data for new research questions, and (as the coverage of the collected data on the earth’s surface becomes significant) tackling large-scale or even global research problems. The Informal Cosmogenic-nuclide Exposure-age Database (ICE-D) project enables this research by facilitating community access and engagement with the continually growing dataset of cosmogenic nuclide geochemical and field measurements used for exposure dating applications. The project expands the capabilities of prior work on ICE-D by implementing support for sophisticated surface processes such as dating now-buried surfaces, in addition to exposure dating. This project expands capabilities and trains a wider audience of geoscientists for the Informal Cosmogenic-nuclide Exposure-age Database (ICE-D) Project. ICE-D is a computational infrastructure project aimed at facilitating synoptic data discovery and analysis of geochronologic measurements that constrain numerous Earth surface processes. Transformative components of the project - the transparent computational middle-layer and users-as-developers model - are currently enabling higher-order analyses of cosmogenic-nuclide measurements that critically underpin several fields in Earth surface processes research, namely reconstructing past contributions to sea level fluctuations from ice sheets, assessing seismic hazards along major fault systems, and constraining global climate patterns that caused past alpine glacial fluctuations. Expanded capabilities targeted in this iteration of the project will additionally aid in analyzing fluvial landscape evolution processes, biological applications such as tracking species evolution and the dispersion of ancient humans across the world during the Quaternary, among other impactful Earth surface and biological processes. By centralizing the detailed datasets of cosmogenic-nuclide measurements - including field observations and laboratory measurements - required to compute geologically meaningful parameters from samples collected in a variety of environments worldwide, ICE-D removes several bottlenecks in the community. To further increase engagement, the project undertakes a workshop program to train the community of users to contribute their data, help maintain the database and ultimately use the database for synoptic analyses. Finally, project investigators institute an undergraduate research program aimed at training undergraduates as well as fostering engagement with the geoscience community. This award by the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure is jointly supported by the Division of Earth Sciences and the Division of Research, Innovation, Synergies and Education in the Directorate of Geosciences. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.