| Director: |
Matthew Johnson |
| Other Researchers: |
Jose Luis Antinao,
Valerie Beckham-Feller,
Kaitlyn Burress,
Ashley Douds,
Kevin Fuller,
Henry Loope,
Robin Rupp,
Will Knauth,
Casey Jones,
Jennifer Lanman,
Karen Like,
Kristen Wilkins,
Ben Romlein
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| Funding: |
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) - National Geologic and Geophysical Data Preservation Program
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| Issue: |
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| Objective: |
Update the Indiana National Coal Resource Data System (NCRDS), pair data with physical logs, and provide stratigraphic data to the National Index of Borehole Information (NIBI).
Complete the unconsolidated borehole database work from the 2023 Data Preservation award and provide unconsolidated lithologies to the NIBI.
Convert borehole wireline logs into a digital format usable in geological software and provide this data set through the new borehole system developed.
Redevelop a borehole database that has not been updated fully in the past 10 years.
Obtain critical mineral analysis on a select number of cores from a meteor impact crater. |
| Approach: |
Archives and collections staff will assist in finding and scanning archived coal records. Records will be paired with data in the NCRDS. New records will be obtained from state agencies and scanned. Updated and new stratigraphic locations will be collected from these records and recorded in IGWS borehole databases. Unconsolidated lithology data will be collected and added to unconsolidated borehole databases, completing work that began during the 2023 Data Preservation performance period. Wireline logs associated with wells reaching depths suitable for carbon sequestration will be digitized and formatted in Log ASCII standard (LAS) format for use in geological software. A new, public-facing borehole database will be created to incorporate existing data and new LAS files. The new database will have a publicly searchable website and interactive map and will be designed to allow automatic data submissions into the NIBI system. Priority 3 will locate select cores, collect samples, and send them out for analysis. |
| Products: |
Priority 1 goals will provide updated data and access to data that has been unavailable to IGWS staff and external stakeholders. The data preserved during these activities will move mapping and research programs at the IGWS forward. Additionally, this work will provide requested borehole information to the National Index of Borehole Information. Priority 2 goals will deliver a new public interface to access statewide borehole information. Data will no longer be behind a paywall and access will be made available through an interactive map and updated search interface. The development of the new system will also include easier editing of records and a connection to NIBI for automated record inputs. Priority 3 goals will provide analyses of available critical minerals in an area and structural feature that has not been studied. This research will provide a basis for future research into critical minerals formed during a meteor impact. |
| Benefits: |
Priorities 1 and 2 will benefit research, energy exploration, oil and gas, and other geological industry stakeholders. In addition, the public availability of data created and accessible through the new system development and updates will open new opportunities for exploration by data scientists, environmentalists, and future geologists. The main goal is to provide access for IGWS staff researchers and anyone outside the organization to data that is findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable. Priority 3 will move critical mineral research forward by studying an overlooked and opportune area where these much-needed resources might occur. |
