Abstract

A standard database schema for geologic maps
Track: Mining and Geosciences
Authors: Ralph Haugerud, David Soller, Evan Thoms, Stephen Richard

We propose a standard database schema for geologic maps (see http://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Info/standards/NCGMP09/) that is both a content standard and an implementation in ArcGIS. Key elements of the schema include a focus on analysis of map relations and geoscience content, with less emphasis on supporting publication-quality cartography or web-server performance; feature class, table, and field names chosen to communicate with both geologist and GISer; rich feature-level metadata; and the requirement that terms be defined in a glossary table, both to allow for new concepts and to sidestep predictable conflicts over controlled vocabularies. We have written scripts that create an empty database, validate a database, help create FGDC metadata, and translate a database to other file formats. Standardization facilitates and motivates investment in software tools to increase efficiency, but also depends on stability in the underlying data formats and GIS software.