Intellectual Merit: This research provides a means to allow realization of the full intellectual impact of 40 years of ocean floor drilling through newly developed computer visualization techniques for desktop computing environments. The primary goal of the work is the development of computational models that convert all vertical depth below seafloor information to geologic age so sediment characteristics of the same age can be brought together, viewed, compared, and analyzed. The approach allows synthesis of data that was previously difficult to compare. Validation of the approach is demonstrated by a successful proof of concept study for 96 Legs of the Deep Sea Drilling Project. The approach combines web mapping and web feature services with 3-D virtual globe visualization applications such as GeoMapApp and Google Earth. The project represents a collaboration of the Columbia University GeoMapApp group with the CHRONOS Project team at Iowa State University.
Broader Impacts: This work will enhance access and promote wider use of NSF-funded Ocean Drilling data from the global oceans through an easy-to-use interface that allows drill core data to be plotted against age, thus increasing the infrastructure for science and education. The web-user interface and tools are also designed for outreach and education and are already being used in classrooms across the country. The web utility being developed will delivered data directly onto virtual globes to transform discovery by the public into inquiry and learning.
