March 2004 Newsletter (Number 1/04)

Portal: The portal v.1 has been up and going since last November. Doug F is working on the new portal generation (v. 2) that should be viewable by mid April. Through the portal, user can access news, data/metadata, taxonomy, and tools.

News: News collected using RSS feeds from the CHRONOS information site, GEON, Paleoportal. If you are aware of RSS feeds from sites that interest you, please send the information to Doug F.

Taxonomy: we have put together a collection of URLs of sites that contain taxonomic information. We are working with bioscience groups to adopt their metadata standards. Doug F participated in a plant systematics workshop in Gainesville last February. Pat is going to develop a generic taxonomic database (all groups!) with input from Brian, Dave Harwood (diatoms - Univ Nebraska), myself, and from what we have learned from the biologists. Liying has put Brian's taxonomic dictionary on Cretaceous planktonic foraminifera on line (undergoing testing) and Josh did the same with the Paleocene foraminifer atlas (also from Brian - now available through the Taxonomy tab).

Google: Our position in Google has slipped down to the second page. It actually varies for no apparent reason from #4 to second page. We are working on optimizing our positioning by adding the URL to various web directories and modifying the page. An important factor in Google ratings is the number of links that take to a URL. We need more links to our web site. Can you please help with that?

MyCHRONOS User Login System: Doug F has started to work on this. The goal is to have it ready by the end of April.

Data/Metadata: schema and information on the first three databases that we are currently integrating are available through the portal. The connection between Neptune (hosted database), PaleoBiology and Paleostrat (federated) is made. Doug F and Doug G are working on the ontology and metadata. We plan to demo the common search at the GSA in Boise (beginning of May).

U/Pb database: Pat has completed the schema and the database is ready to be hosted at PaleoStrat. A preliminary Ar/Ar database schema was also put together. Pat is going to contact Paul Renne to get feedback on that.

Time Scale: Pat has created a database to host the time scale information. Sections will be loaded in PaleoStrat with the soon-to-be-ready web interface. Doug F is working with Pat on the web services and XML interface to the time scale.

Web interface for searches Josh is working on it and implementing 'search modules' based at the moment on Neptune's data. We are using the 'case studies' posted on the alphawiki page.

A series of graphic correlation and visualization tools are listed in the portal. These are mainly windows-based tools that can be downloaded and run on one's desktop.

Geoff has completed the conversion of age/depth plotting software into a java application. This allows users to create lines of correlation using ASCII files with specific formatting. Next, Geoff, Pat and Doug F are modifying it to allow it to use directly search results from databases.

The time scale conversion tools (Cenozoic to late Mesozoic Cande and Kent, 1995 to 2004 GTS conversion using paleomagnetic reversals, and the GSA 1999, Berggren 1995 and 2004 GTS relative to numerical age conversion) are ready as web services. Josh is working on a web interface but the main use for these tools will be as integral part of the database searches, as web service call from the community.

Doug is going to create a wrapper to integrate CONOP into CHRONOS. Users would search CHRONOS for data, format the output for CONOP, send in a request for a CONOP analysis, and be notified by email when it is ready.

Time scale webservices are in place with Tapestry of time (Paleoportal) and GEON.

Geoff is working with Linda on the conversion of cyclostratigraphy tools into Java.

Tool development is done in close collaboration with SDSC to ensure that the CHRONOS tools will be easily deployable in GeonGRID.

We are sponsoring a Mesozoic planktonic foraminifera taxonomy workshop in Washington DC (May 20-22, 2004 - organizer: Brian Huber) and a Geochemical Cycles workshop in San Antonio, TX (June 25-26, 2004 - organizers: Ethan Grossman, John McArthur and Cinzia C.) as well as a Middle Miocene workshop in St. Petersburg FL at the end of October (organizer: B. Flower). Details will be posted on the information page under Meetings and in the Calendar.

The second CHRONOS retreat and NSF site visit will take place in Ames from August 1 to August 5. Details to come.

CHRONOS will be present at the Cordilleran/Rocky Mountain GSA in Boise ID (May 3-5) with a booth and as sponsor of a session on calibrating the global time scale convened by Bruce W and myself (18 oral presentations, four posters).

CHRONOS will be showcased at the 2004 IGC in Florence (20-28 August 2004) at the ICS booth and with oral and poster presentations by Bruce W, Jim O, and Cinzia C.

National GSA (November 7-10): the CHRONOS technical session was accepted and you will be receiving details about it later in April. We are also going to have a booth. We are planning to have a steering committee and advisory board meeting before the conference.

Fall AGU (December): a double booth has been reserved.

We have had intensive discussions with various groups in Europe and Australia to expand the concept of a CHRONOS network outside the US boundaries. A workshop with scientists and officers of European science foundations is being organized by Rich Lane in Florence on August 19. The groups include cientists and IT people involved in the development of mainly paleontological databases in Germany, Switzerland, France, Norway, and Britain.

Our collaboration with CSIRO on time scale issues continues.