Table of Content

20 August 2020, Volume 26 Issue 4

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Current Status of Paleontological Databases and Data-driven Research in Paleontology

DENG Yiying, FAN Junxuan，WANG Yue，SHI Yukun，YANG Jiao，LU Zhengbo

2020, 26(4):  361-383.  DOI: 10.16108/j.issn1006-7493.2020018

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Fossils are invaluable information resources for understanding the deep-time Earth history. Over hundreds of years, a huge amount of paleontological data recording those information has been published. With the rapid development of computer, database and internet technologies during the past 30-40 years, those data have been gathered into various paleontological databases under different goals. The databases all have distinguished system structure, data organization method and service objects. In the present study we reviewed the development of major paleontological databases around the world, including their history, architecture, data characteristics and data volume. Their data organization methods, key online functions, data sharing mechanisms as well as the quality control technique of taxonomic data have also been compared and evaluated. Moreover, several cutting-edge data-driven paleontological research have been introduced. Based on the experience of their data application routine, a concept of establishing a harmonized paleontological big data platform containing data compilation, standardization, sharing, analysis and application, was proposed. It can serve as an example in the Deep-time Digital Earth (DDE) Big Science Program for the construction of multi-disciplinary geosciences big data platform.

An Editing Platform of Geoscience Knowledge System

SHI Shunzhong，LYU Hairong，DONG Shaochun，LI Yan，TANG Xiaofang，ZHOU Chenghu

2020, 26(4):  384-394.  DOI: 10.16108/j.issn1006-7493.2020019

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With the development of geoscience and its related technology, geoscience data grow rapidly and a large amount have been accumulated in the recent years. To establish domain knowledge graph to promote the utilization of those data becomes an urgent task. This paper, serving a geoscientific international project, Deep-time Digital Earth, proposes a geoscience knowledge base as well as knowledge graph to provide a new tool for future geoscience research and further, promote the research paradigm. Development history of knowledge graph has been reviewed and main knowledge system editing tools have been fully evaluated. Based on the characteristics of geoscience, authors analyzed the requirements of geoscience knowledge system editing, and constructed a professional editing platform for the system. The platform owns the advantages such as simple operation and collaborative applications for review and editing, which not only meets the requirements of geoscience knowledge system but also fills a gap in this field. Since it formally launched last year, scientific researchers from 18 subjects of geoscience have participated in the online editing, and the geoscience knowledge system is progressing with this great effort and efficiency. Based on experiences from the system users and constructers, authors suggested the further improving plans for the platform from a
technical perspective.

Review and Prospects of Studying Methods to Reconstruct Eustatic Sea-level Changes in Deep-time

XU Yiwei，HU Xiumian

2020, 26(4):  395-410.  DOI: 10.16108/j.issn1006-7493.2020020

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Eustatic sea-level changes strongly control the Earth evolution on paleogeography, paleontology and paleoclimate, as well as the distribution of petroleum and coal deposits. The controlling factors of eustatic sea-level changes are, however, still poorly understood partly due to lack of a high-resolution global sea-level curve. This paper reviewed the history of eustasy research, and summarized five types of approaches to reconstruct eustatic sea-level changes in deep-time, including stratigraphic, sedimentological, ocean basin dynamics, geochemical approaches and big data technique. We take the Cretaceous sea-level curve
as an example to describe the difficulties in reconstructing eustatic sea-level changes and the results displayed that promising prospects could be expected in this area.

Prospects on Big Data-Driven Metamorphic Petrology

LIU Bo，ZHAI Mingguo，PENG Peng，GUO Jinghui，LIU Peng

2020, 26(4):  411-423.  DOI: 10.16108/j.issn1006-7493.2020021

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Metamorphic rock records the Earth evolutionary history since the generation of its continental crust. Metamorphism stores information of the tectonic evolution and other geological processes from the solid rocks formed. Metamorphic rock is the focal point for the tectonic evolution study, especially when it comes to the scope of continental tectonics and tectonic regime change through time. With the development of metamorphic phase equilibrium research and the accumulation of relevant data, how to improve the knowledge system of metamorphic petrology, integrate the scattered data, form a new comprehensive data platform, and employ the big data to solve the frontier scientific questions have attained plenty of interests in metamorphic petrology. This paper summarized the databases related to metamorphic rocks, such as MetPetDB, PetDB, etc., as well as the research hotspots in recent years. As a result, big data-driven research subjects in this field were proposed as:(1) the generation, growth and stabilization of the early continental crust; (2) the process of cratonization, orogenesis, and ocean-continental interaction; (3) crust-mantle interaction and the structure, energy, phase transition and material exchange within the contact belt; (4) evolution of the Earth thermal regime and its temporal and spatial connection with the continental structure and composition change.

Review of Databases in Vertebrate Paleontology

PAN Zhaohui，ZHU Min

2020, 26(4):  424-443.  DOI: 10.16108/j.issn1006-7493.2020022

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Over the past 200000 years, the Earth biodiversity and environment have suffered various catastrophic changes, especially the environment deterioration and species extinction accelerated by human activities in the past 11000 years. It is proposed that humans are experiencing the sixth mass extinction in Earth history. The modern biodiversity crisis can be better understood through its link to the paleo-biodiversity change in geological history. A study combining the past and present world could help us to understand the co-evolution between life and environment and further predict the Earth future. A new subject, Conservation Paleobiology, on this area is quickly rising. It relies more on data accumulation, and plenty of databases have been constructed to collect paleontological data. Among them the Paleobiology Database (PBDB) started its online service since 1998 and has gained various significant discoveries. Here, we introduce those major databases on vertebrate paleontology as well as examples of data-driven scientific discoveries, in order to provide reference for the international project, Deep-time Digital Earth (DDE), which aims to harmonize the global geoscience data resources.

Review of Virtual Simulation Technique in Geology

Qiang Weifan，Guo Yanjun，Zhou Zhe，Zhou Yongyi

2020, 26(4):  464-471.  DOI: 10.16108/j.issn1006-7493.2020024

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With the rapid development of computer technology, artificial intelligence technology, multimedia technology and sensor technology, virtual simulation has been widely used in the scientific education field. As for geology, plenty of universities have applied virtual simulation techniques which could break the space and time limitation of traditional teaching methods. However, deficiencies exist such as short of professional virtual scenario, interaction and detail display. In order to improve the current situation and further expand the application of virtual simulation technique in geology, this paper reviewed the application of virtual simulation technique in various scientific disciplines and introduced a comprehensive and international immersive virtual simulation geoscience laboratory. The establishment of a comprehensive geoscience virtual simulation laboratory efficiently combining geoscience and virtual simulation technology could provide a more effective platform for future geoscience based interdisciplinary education.

Current Data Administration and Sharing of International Scientific Ocean Drilling

LU Zhengbo，SHI Yukun，HUA Hong，TUO Shouting，YE Xunyan，DENG Yiying，FAN Junxuan

2020, 26(4):  472-480.  DOI: 10.16108/j.issn1006-7493.2020025

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International scientific ocean drilling dates back to the “Project Mohole” in the 1960s, and includes the later Deep Sea Drilling Project, Ocean Drilling Program, Integrated Ocean Drilling Program and International Ocean Discovery Program. Through over 300 ocean drilling tasks，a large amount of precious data have been obtained from the seafloor and now stored in multiple databases. Those data record the characteristics of the core samples in various aspects such as physical, chemical, lithological, micropaleontological, etc., as well as logging information. All the information has been acquired either from shipboard bservations and measurements or after-cruise experimental analysis. In addition to being stored in IODP databases, these data have been published in relevant journals of ocean drilling, and some were deposited in other professional databases. These data are difficult to combine all together because different data types among the databases and in each database, the data search routine is too simple for advanced use. To set up a comprehensive data platform to store and manage heterogeneous data from ocean drilling projects and integrate various services and functions processing the data for more broad use, will be a task for eological community in the future.