CZ Geosamples Update

[Leslie Hsu]

Hi CZO Data IMC,

We wanted to give an update on the plans for registering CZO samples with IGSNs. 

Over the last couple months we've finalized the plan to release a version of SESAR that takes into account your input over the past year. Here is a summary below. The changes are not released yet, but we wanted to inform you of the plan now in case there is immediate feedback.

Thanks for those of you who have responded to requests and provided sample data/metadata. If you have sample metadata you'd like to register with these new features, contact me and we can use them as we finish out the final stages of testing.

If you have any comments or questions about what is below, then let me know. It would be helpful if you passed this along to any sample-y investigators in your CZO. Your comments will help us to plan subsequent phases of the CZ Geosamples.

Thanks, 

Leslie and the rest of the SESAR team

http://www.geosamples.org/

Registering CZO samples with IGSN

1. The CZO IGSN Registry will be completely integrated with the current SESAR sample registry, allowing search of both CZO and non-CZO samples.

2. Namespaces for the IGSNs will be of the same syntax of other SESAR users. (They will not begin with "CZ" as previously discussed - this means that investigators will not need to juggle multiple namespaces for their CZO and non-CZO samples.)

3. CZO samples will be identified by the "Field Program" designation, which will be one of a controlled vocabulary of different CZOs. (e.g., Eel CZO, Shale Hills CZO, Boulder CZO, Sierra CZO, etc.) (Thus, an investigator can use the same namespace for both CZO and non-CZO samples, and manage them in their SESAR dashboard.)

1. All existing samples in SESAR related to CZOs will have the Field Program modified to match the CZO field program vocabulary.

4. The new materials Ice and Synthetic have been added.

5. Fields have been added for Northing, Easting, and UTM Zone. The UTM Zone uses the format of [number] [N or S for hemisphere]. However, in the first implementation, latitude and longitude must be used as well in order to get the geolocation specified. There are a number of good tools for this, including http://www.earthpoint.us/Convert.aspx

6. There is a metadata profile for a "Site", use this to register CZO Sites, and add latitude and longitude data to get the sites to show on the map.

7. We are working to align SESAR with ODM2 as far as possible.

8. Certain metadata that are important for CZO sites and samples, in some cases we will provide guidance on where to enter these on the SESAR profile as opposed to creating new fields.

1. For example, aspect, mean annual temperature, and mean annual precipitation, and slope position, should go into the Location Description Field.

2. "Sample preparation" information should go into the Comment field. We can work with CZO investigators to develop an appropriate suggested vocabulary.
9. Help information for CZO-specific issues in SESAR will be produced and released with the new features.