Southern Prince Charles Mountains

Why develop a Southern Prince Charles Mountains Pilot Web Project

During discussions (Lee Belbin, Manager, AADC) about priorities for the Australian Antarctic Data Centre (AADC) with Bob Tingey on 20th August 1996, the idea of developing a pilot study on the web of the geology of a part of the Southern Prince Charles Mountains was raised. A geological map may be an effective tool to hang geological information on, but can after all, display only a proportion of geological information available.

This pilot project would attempt to draw together a broad range of geological information and display it in an effective form. Information that could be used includes at least-

• GIS and remotely sensed maps and aerial photography,
• a database of geological samples (geochemistry, mineralogy, fossils...),
• sample and other observation locations,
• bibliography,
• geochronology,
• scanned pages from field note books,
• pictures of geological/geomorphological/... features with interpretations,
• pictures or scans of rocks and thin sections,

The AADC is keen to give the pilot an educational pitch. In other words, where ever possible, it would be good to have explanations of terms, procedures, observations and results. This provides an opportunity for other disciplines or sub-disciplines (in geology) to pick up a message as well as say secondary or tertiary students. We are enthusiastic about encouraging and facilitating cross-discipline activity. This seems like a reasonable way to seed some.

The AADC would undertake to compile and link a set of web pages (Ursula Ryan, AADC). It would be good to get as many people contributing to this project as possible. A geologist (Doug Thost, AGSO) who is enthusiastic about educational possibilities, is to play a role in the design. Others are contributing data, photographs, mud-maps, geochemistry, interpretations, debates and anything you are interested in.

We think some of the benefits of the project include-

• a better understanding for the Data Centre of the width and depth of Antarctic geological information
• raising the profile of geological work in Antarctica as well as the people and the organisations involved
• seeing how effective the web is at displaying/linking a very broad range of geological information
• testing how we can present this in a form that people from other disciplines and students can understand
• identifying valuable historical geological information that is in need of recovery
• developing the expertise of the Data Centre in drawing together and linking diverse information in a coherant form.
• facilitating the interchange of information/data within the Geology Program

The history of Australian exploration in the Antarctic has a strong geological theme. There appears some danger of a lot of geological information being lost. Getting significant components of these data into digital form will not only preserve information but should also greatly facilitate on-going work. Data already identified include-

• field notebooks. Few 100?
• rock collection. Few 1000?
• WHO is working WHERE on WHAT and WHY.