New Catalog of Resources Enables Paleoclimate Research on Weather, Water, and Climate Change

The 21st century promises a new era for scientists of all disciplines, the age where cyber infrastructure enables research and education and fuels discovery. EarthCube is a working community of over 2,500 scientists and students of many Earth Science disciplines who are looking to build bridges between disciplines. Paleoclimate proxies such as tree rings, ocean and lake sediments, and cave deposits have applications to many Earth and environmental science problems, and are used to understand weather, water, and climate change at decadal to millennial time scales. The EarthCube initiative will create a digital infrastructure that connects databases, software, and repositories. A catalog of resources (databases, software, repositories) has been produced by the Research Coordination Network for Paleogeosciences. The Catalog is currently made available within the larger-scope CINERGI geosciences portal (http://hydro10.sdsc.edu/geoportal/catalog/main/home.page). Other distribution points and web services are planned. The databases provide searchable interfaces to find data sets that would otherwise remain dark data, hidden in drawers and on personal computers. The software will be described in catalog entries so just one click will lead users to methods and analytical tools that many scientists were unaware of. The repositories listed in the Paleogeosciences Catalog contain physical samples found all across the globe, from natural history museums to the basements of university buildings. Climate modeling software and climate analysis software are substantial component of the catalog. Challenges faced included keyword reconciliation, obsolete resources, language barriers, evolving standards (for Internet resource cataloging) and a lack of response from the global scientific community. The Paleogeosciences network has over 200 databases, 300 software items, and 200 repositories which will grow in the coming year. When completed, geoscientists across the world will be connected into a productive workflow for managing, sharing, and exploring geoscience data and information that expedites collaboration and innovation within the paleogeosciences, potentially bringing about new interdisciplinary discoveries.