Database

A Web-accessible database has been created to store metadata pertaining to the samples collected by WHSC scientists and researchers. This database contains information relating to the collection process, location information, research interests, and storage notes for each sample entry.

The sample database was originally constructed using Microsoft Access and is continuously maintained and updated using information derived from the WHSC's Data Library's field activity database and data sets provided by the Principal Investigators. The database and its associated shapefile can be accessed in the Data Catalog section of this report as a Microsoft Excel workbook. The currentness of the data in this publication is provided in the database metadata file.

The database is also accessible online and is available at the USGS Woods Hole Science Center's Ocean Floor Samples access page. This Web page allows for text-based searching of the archive database, and provides links to the field activity pages and cruise metadata. Inquiries may be directed to the curator, Brian Buczkowski (bbuczkowski@usgs.gov ).

Data Fields

The data fields described here contain recommended metadata topics, as chosen by WHSC scientists, as well as agreed parameters decided upon by the Curators of Marine and Lacustrine Geological Samples group from standard presented data. Attributes and their definitions are shown in Table 1.

Blank cells in the database entries indicate information that is either unavailable, due to no data, or to preserve the proprietary nature of the samples as research is currently being conducted on them.