Carboniferous-Permian Paleoclimate Data System

0746318 Snyder The goal of this project is to create a database for deep-time paleoclimate research utilizing the PaleoStrat engine (www.paleostrat.org). PaleoStrat, like all geoinformatics facilities, supports science, helps to build science research communities, and helps to insure that the results of that research are as widely available as possible. Initial efforts regarding paleoclimate data will focus on the Carboniferous-Permian, building on the research strengths of the PIs and associated national and international colleagues and from the support of key cooperating groups: GeoSystems (a community based effort aimed at examining Earth's climate and linked systems throughout geologic time); International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) of the international Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS); the ICS subcommissions on Carboniferous and Permian stratigraphy; and a newly formed working group on paleoclimate of the International Congress on the Carboniferous and Permian (ICCP). The interest of the research community and these groups stems from the critical importance of the Late Paleozoic Gondwana ice age to understanding Earth's climate system. PaleoStrat is designed as an infrastructure platform for Earth Science researchers and teachers and serves the community by enhancing the research and education process ? it supports science and education and does not itself do science. PaleoStrat offers students the opportunity of exploring real stratigraphic-based data as a fundamental learning tool. Teaching modules are being developed by an internal team at the Department of Geosciences at Boise State University. The results of these efforts will be available on the PaleoStrat web site and disseminated at various professional meetings.