Abstract:
In 1997, the Ocean Drilling Program began using a relational data management system and applications called Janus to store and retrieve data collected on the drill ship JOIDES Resolution. Since then many new web-based data access queries have been added, and some modifications to the database have been made. The database modifications were needed to allow the migration of pre-Janus data to the database, to incorporate modifications in the calibration procedures, to improve database performance, to add storage and access to various digital images, and to add access to scanned digital images of original paper data. These modifications were made by staff at Texas A&M University and reflect enhancements required by the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) scientific community. With the start of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) an opportunity exists to make additional enhancements to the existing Janus database. As such, two major areas are identified: developing a core description program(s) and providing data visualization tools for improved analysis. Efforts to use Java-based programs to build these enhancements are cited. Geographic information systems (GIS) technology is being explored as a viable approach to providing these enhancements. Building an understanding of the Janus database is best accomplished by visiting the Web site http://iodp.tamu.edu/database. Available data can be reviewed using the online "Database overview" option. A list of all queries that are available in Janus can be acquired through the online "Data search" option.