Dr. Hannes Hollmann1, Dr. Nigel Rees1, Ms. Jo Croucher1, Dr. Bruce Goleby2, Dr. Ben Evans1, Dr. Rebecca Farrington3, Dr. Yiling Liu1, Dr. Lesley Wyborn1
1NCI Australia, Acton, Australia, 2OPM Consulting Pty Ltd, GOWRIE, Australia, 3AuScope, Carlton, Australia
Biography:
Dr. Hannes Hollmann holds a MSc in geophysics from the University of Kiel, Germany and completed his PhD at the University of Tasmania focusing on applying seismic methods to Antarctic snow and ice. Hannes now works as a Research Data Management Specialist, focusing on curating new datasets and enhancing their value by aligning them with the FAIR principles.
Abstract:
Since the 1950s, large volumes of Australian geophysics data have been acquired by universities, industry, and government agencies. However, in many geophysical disciplines, only higher-level data products are accessible online, while valuable original time-series data and/or metadata remains largely inaccessible. This data is often stored offline on various types of media and as institutional knowledge of these datasets fades, the risk of permanent loss increases. The research impact is exacerbated by the interest in machine learning applications that require comprehensive collections of datasets adhering to the FAIR principles. Open Science mandates increasingly require access to all artefacts of the scientific workflow, not just the processed products.
Ensuring that raw time-series data is publicly accessible preserves scientific legacy and enhances future research capabilities by providing a rich foundation for advanced analytical techniques. Data rescue efforts to locate, preserve, and digitise these valuable datasets are crucial for preventing their permanent loss and ensuring their availability for future advancements in analysis techniques.
To address these issues, the National High-resolution Geophysics Reference Collections for 2030 Computation Project has focused on modernising the South Australian AusLAMP Magnetotellurics Collection by consolidating MT datasets and metadata resources into a single archive, available as part of AuScope’s data collection at NCI for either in-situ HPC/cloud access or file downloads. Through collaboration with current and former survey personnel, the project has increased the preservation of survey sites from 50% to 96% and added value through data curation and enhanced metadata, thereby fostering a more open and transparent scientific environment.