Global earth mineral inventory: A data legacy

Area of Science:

• Geoinformatics
• Mineralogy
• Geology

Background:

• Minerals provide crucial insights into Earth's and planetary bodies' geologic history.
• Centuries of mineral sample collection and data compilation have aided understanding of plate tectonics, atmospheric oxidation, and Martian hydrology.
• Existing datasets like RRUFF.info/Evolution and mindat.org document global mineral occurrences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a centralized, integrated data portal for mineralogical research.
• To facilitate scientific discovery by merging diverse datasets and enabling hypothesis testing.
• To provide researchers with a single, accessible platform for exploring mineral properties and occurrences.

Main Methods:

• Compilation of physical, chemical, and geological mineral properties.
• Integration of compiled data with existing mineral occurrence datasets (RRUFF.info/Evolution, mindat.org).
• Development of the Global Earth Mineral Inventory (GEMI) as a networked data structure accessible via the DCO Data Portal.

Main Results:

• The Global Earth Mineral Inventory (GEMI) provides a unified portal for accessing and analyzing mineral data.
• GEMI integrates diverse data sources into a digestible format, enabling valuable insights.
• The networked structure of GEMI allows for exploration of specific data subnetworks.

Conclusions:

• GEMI enhances geoinformatics by consolidating mineral data, supporting hypothesis generation and testing.
• The integrated data legacy facilitates deeper understanding of Earth's past environments and mineralogical phenomena.
• GEMI represents a significant advancement in making comprehensive mineral data accessible for scientific exploration.