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Q. What is the Earth Systems Database?
Q. What does it include?
Q. What format?
Q. Why is this database not on the web?
Q. Is the database available?
Q. What are the future plans for the database?
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Q. What is the Earth Systems Database?
A. The Earth Systems Database (formally the Vertebrate Database) is a research database originally compiled as part of the authors PhD at the University ofChicago (Markwick 1996). The original aim was to store climate proxy ifnormation for reconstructing the Cretaceous - Tertiary climate transition. However, as this work progressed it became clear that an important element of this was qualifying the data itself, and so many of the fields were included with this in mind (see Markwick & Lupia 1998). In conjunction with other databases of the Paleogeographic Atlas Project (University of Chicago) this database also now provides the data used in construction a new generation of detailed GIS-based palaeogeographies for use in Earth System research.
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Q. What does the database include?
A. The main emphasis of the database was to compile occurrences of fossil and modern vertebrates, especially reptiles and amphibians. However during compilation the database scope was changed to include all vertebrates and floras. As of 1995 the database comprised data on over 22,000 individual taxa, in 6000 fossil localities and 1060 modern climate stations (to provide the link with climate information essential for constraining climate proxies in climate space). Today the database is being used additionally for stoing the data used in compiling a series of detailed GIS-based palaeogeographies.
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Q. What format?
A. The database was originally compiled in a custom designed database developed in the Helix database software (www.helixtech.com). Unfortunately this software does not include either a version for OSX or Windows, and so much of the database has now been moved to ArcGIS (www.ESRI.com). Files from the database have been used by numerous workers and are usually provided as simple tab-delimited text files that can then be imported into any stats or mapping package.
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Q. Why is the database not available on the web?
A. For a number of reasons. 1. Time - Working in Industry has limited how much time I can devote to keeping the database updated and to ensuring that it is maintained properly for the web. 2. The database contains numerous heterogeneities that must be treated with care. I am concerbned that these may not be immediately apparent to users of a web-based database (see data section). 3. The database was designed as a research database for my own work and is still being actively used for this purpose. As more of this work is completed more of the database will be made available.
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Q. Is the database available?
A. A number of researchers already use parts of the database for their own research. As more of the work is published further datasets will be made available. If you are interested, please e-mail me at paul@markwick001.freeserve.co.uk.
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Q. What are the future plans for the database?
A. Given time I would like to make the modern dataset global and include more floras in the fossil sections. For the time being most of my efforts are concerned with compiling lithological and geochemical climate proxy datasets for the climate modelling work, as well as stratigraphic and tectonic data for use with my new generation of palaeogeographies.
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