Geoscience Information services
Geoscience Information manages the storage, quality assurance and accessibility of the department's information for the exploration industry, other government departments and the public. Geosceince Information also collaborates with other national government geoscience information jurisdictions to foster increased interoperability of information.
The key operational areas are:
- Drill Core Storage Management: storage facilities at Londonderry and Broken Hill
- Geoscience databases: point-located data management and the Geoscientific Data Warehouse (GDW)
- Geoscience Knowledge Management: Digital Imaging Geological Systems (DIGS®), EROL, MinView and Geoscience Product Catalogue (GPC), online services, web site management, records and heritage archiving and educational activities
- Geospatial Information: map and spatial product production, graphics production for publications and promotions, GIS data management including the Statewide Geology Geodatabase, multi media output, spatial and visualisation support to the Resources & Energy Division
- New Frontiers Exploration Initiative promotion: events promotion and involvement, On the Outcrop e-newsletter to industry, participation in international events
Drill Core Storage Management
The Drill Core Storage Management team manages the department's facilities at Londonderry (W B Clarke Geoscience Centre) and at Broken Hill (E C Andrews Drill Core Facility).
Operations at these sites include the collection, indexing and storage of private exploration core offered to the department and of departmental core. A core retrieval service for core viewing and core cutting and sampling is also provided subject to prior arrangement.
Geoscience Databases
The Geoscience Databases team manages the COGENT II Geoscience Data Management Project which centralises and standardises all the department's point-located geoscientific data collections. The Geoscientific Data Warehouse (GDW) online data discovery and download service is the external face of COGENT II. The GDW provides on-demand access to validated and non-confidential corporate geoscientific data stored by the department.
The COGENT II project recognises that a major role of the department is to provide geoscientific information to attract investment for mineral and petroleum exploration and development, and to help inform land use decision making.
Geoscience Knowledge Management
Geoscience Knowledge Management team is responsible for the capture and quality assurance of all information placed into the DIGS® document archive and into the Geoscience Product Catalogue (GPC). The team ensures dissemination of these non-confidential scientific and exploration data and reports through the two online applications DIGS® and MinView. It also coordinates the online submission of exploration and environmental reports from industry via the EROL system and is responsible for the Geological Survey's web pages.
Geoscience Knowledge Management ensures reports, maps, plans and heritage items are archived appropriately to State Records and utilises the DIGS® application to store scanned hard copy material and make it available to the community.
The team promotes the department's services, products, project progress and contacts through its e-newsletter, On the Outcrop, and the Geological Survey's web pages. It also co-ordinates educational events for the public and training workshops for industry.
A new online geoscientific information gateway is being developed to provide a single, integrated spatial and textual access portal for data discovery and access to the online services currently provided via DIGS®, MinView, the GPC and the GDW. This new development aims to provide a state-of-the-art web portal in response to broader community use of online technology.
Geospatial Information
Geospatial Information provides spatial and visualisation services to the geoscientific mapping, information delivery and promotional programs.
The team produces core GIS and cartographic map products and maintains the Geological Survey's spatial (GIS) geological database (Statewide Geology Geodatabase). It provides graphics and multimedia output for maps, publications, posters and promotional materials. The capture and quality control of GIS data, map production and printing and data compilation and production of information on digital media all fall under this umbrella.
The team is responsible for the provision of map products for download from the Geological Survey web pages and the generation of inventory details for the Geoscience Product Catalogue database. It is also responsible for maintaining compliance with the GeoSciML open standard as part of the global OneGeology project.
New Frontiers Exploration Initiative promotion
Geoscience Information aims to encourage increased exploration and mining investment in NSW by publicising the activities and outputs of the New Frontiers Exploration Initiative through coordination of promotional activities. These include:
- Promotion of NSW-specific exploration investment through collaboration in local events such as Exploration in the House, the NSW Mineral Exploration and Investment Conference and Mines & Wines
- Annual involvement at major national and international resources and energy conferences and trade shows such as those organised by NAPE, APPEA, PDAC, JOGMEC, IMME and China Mining
- Participation in, or support for, departmental, ministerial and related international, delegations where appropriate
- Direct marketing to industry
- Advertising New Frontiers outputs
- Conducting training seminars to increase stakeholder familiarity with the department's information access systems
- Hosting national or international delegations interested in research or collaboration on information system improvements
For further information, please contact the Geoscience Information services.