New Paleontological and Chronostratigraphical Tools in the ODSN Database

The Ocean Drilling Stratigraphic Network is an initiative which is intended to enhance availability and usage of data related to the Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) and the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP). The Project currently focusses on paleontological data, with emphasis on microfossil stratigraphy and distributions. For this purpose a SQL database was set up, using the PostgreSQL database system. PostgreSQL is an open source development, which is available free of charge for various computer architectures. The ODSN database uses a Linux System, to keep web interfaces and database engine on the same machine. The Data stored in the database spans the whole variety needed to estimate chronostratigraphic ages from fossil occurrences. It contains tables on -locations of DSDP/ODP legs, sites and holes -depths of cores, sections and samples within holes -fossil contents of samples -fossil names, groups -fossil synonymies -stratigraphic ranges of fossils within fossil zones -stratigraphic ranges of fossils by age and timescale -data on the regional dependency of fossil zones, ranges and timescales -bibliographical references for all of the above The data used in the database comes from various sources: -DSDP data from the National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) -ODP data (legs 101-141) from Excel sheets available from the ODP Science Operator at TAMU -Data and tables from the "third party" (non-DSDP/ODP) literature were searched; authors were contacted and either sent files or data was typed in from the papers -various literature sources on chronostratigraphy The database currently contains information on more than 1.000.000 fossil occurrences from ~15.000 species from 8 fossil groups. Tools allow the user to -plot the regional distribution of fossils or fossil assemblages -convert from one to another timescale -plot occurrences or ranges of fossils within a site, hole or sample -get an estimated age/depth plot for any hole based on the fossil occurrences in the database -put everything into a paleogeographical context using a plate tectonic mapping system All these tools are available online over the www at http://www.odsn.de/