Improving Transparency, Accessibility, and Reusability of Scientific Ocean Drilling Data

Authors: Dr. Diederik Liebrand and Dr. Neil Mitchell

About the project

The International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) will come to an end in 2024, when the drilling vessel Joides Resolution is retired. The IODP and predecessor scientific drilling programmes were initiated to investigate many scientific and socially relevant problems of the Earth Sciences. These include plate-tectonics, threats from volcanic eruptions, submarine landslides and earthquakes, and climate change. The latter is key for assessing future climate change. During their 50 years, many data have been generated, includinggeophysical measurements down boreholes, geochemical and sediment climate proxy data. Although most data are openly available, they lie in multiple incompatible databases, in different countries and are managed under different protocols. Importantly, extensive data also lie in the scientific literature. In 2024, we will organize a workshop. During this workshop, new UK/Manchester-centred strategies will be explored and discussed to digitally connect existing databases, with the aim to make drilling (legacy) data more secure and accessible.

All FAIR principles will be promoted and endorsed during our project. We aim to explore database solutions that are open-access and standardized so that findings are more easily discoverable and reproducible.

What the Accelerator Fund provided

Based on the OOR initiative, we have begun informal discussions with other UK scientists in this field at the UK-IODP meeting held in Southampton in July.  The project grant will now fund DL one day per week to more thoroughly explore the options for a workshop with external funding providers. 

How to find out more

The best way to find out about this project is to email Dr. Diederik Liebrand and Dr. Neil Mitchell. Please contact us especially if you would like to get involved in this project or would like to be informed about the meeting.