COMPILED REPORTS OF THE
U.S. ICE CORE RESEARCH WORKSHOP

2.4 GISP II: CORE SECTIONING AND DISTRIBUTION

(Moderator. M. Wahlen)

In order to assess the demand versus availability for core samples, a revised estimate for sample requests should be obtained immediately. Proposers should later specify very detailed sample requests (size, age, special requirements) which, together with the best depth-age estimates from flow models, will provide the basis for a preliminary sectioning scheme. No difficulties are expected for ice from the Holocene; only in critical time periods at the transition and in glacial times demand might exceed the available material. In this case a mechanism has to be found to resolve possible conflicts. Investigators are strongly encouraged to closely cooperate so the maximum information can be extracted from any one sample.

Discussions were held about the possibility of archiving a fraction of the core, This is important for spike features or variations which might be missed at a first glance. Recommendations were postponed until after a detailed sample request survey is obtained. PICO was asked to evaluate the possibility of side wall sampling, which would provide additional material for critical time periods and eliminate archiving.

Possible options where to section the core were explored. The recommendations are: minimal sectioning should be performed in the field (removal of a continuous slab for d180 and dD and intermittent samples for thin sections and gas analysis). The bulk of the core should be brought to a facility in the U.S. where the final core sectioning will be performed as a group effort under clean conditions. NSF DPP is asked to explore the realization of such a facility.

2.5 DATA MANAGEMENT

(Moderator. R. Armstrong)

In order to assure timely and efficient access to data as they become available, it is important to address the task of data management at an early stage in a large research project such as GISP II. The objectives of the data management plan would include the provision of a central storage location to assure short-term access to data as well as long-term data storage. Services will assure standard formats, safe archival, comprehensive cataloging, and ready access. Recommended specifications for digital data format will be provided. All data accession and archival procedures will be compatible with those of the National Geophysics Data Center.

In order to provide pertinent data to project scientists on a timely basis, certain information will be designated as basic data sets. In general these are data which have been obtained by well known and proven methods and procedures and which serve as supporting information for other studies. Examples of these basic data which should be available to project participants as soon as possible include: 
     Physical Glaciology
     Borehole Temperature
     Borehole Closure
     Ice Density
     Strain Rates
     Surface Velocity Field

First Order Stratigraphic Markers
     Laser Particulates
     d180, dD
     H202
     Acidity
     Continuous Nitrates

In some cases the initial release of these types of data will represent a more coarse resolution. For example d180 might be at one meter intervals, while later releases, would provide finer resolutions. All basic data would be sent to a centralized data center as soon as possible and the current holdings, or data catalog, would be provided to the participants through an electronic mail bulletin board system. This listing would be updated as each new data set arrived. The actual basic data could be distributed to the participants on a generally accepted electronic medium such as PC floppy disks.

A more comprehensive data reporting mechanism would take the form of workshops scheduled approximately six months after the field studies were completed. The workshops would provide the opportunity for broad data set comparison among scientists while still allowing the initial data releases and reports to appear under the name of the principal investigators. Workshop proceedings should be published in appropriate, reviewed, journals to avoid the loss of this information in the "grey literature". However, it should be stressed that the medium chosen for publication should allow the timely release of these basic data.

Following the workshop phase, results of the ice core studies would be published through the conventional journals. At this stage dam would be available to the scientific community at large and authors should describe how others could obtain the data by a footnote in the published paper.

<- Back | Table of Contents | Next ->