why

Solving today’s geoscientific problems, ranging in scope from resource exploration to environmental management, requires collaboration among scientists from many disciplines: geology, hydrogeology, geophysics, geochemistry, geotechnical engineering. Integration across these disciplines is scientifically and technically challenging because each uses different tools, terminology, methods and workflows. Making sustainable progress in bringing these fields closer together, and working more efficiently within a discipline, is thus a challenge. We believe that the first step to integration is opening up communication lines - including making knowledge and tools accessible. This is our aim with GeoSci.xyz.

We are starting with geophysics. Geophysics has not yet reached its full potential for its contribution to solving problems in the geosciences. However that is changing - today the combination of better field systems and high quality data, advances in scientific computing, and the exponential increase in computer power allows us to solve problems that were not possible a few years ago. It is becoming more commonplace to acquire laboratory or in-situ measurements of physical properties - these are essential links for integrating geophysics into the process of addressing questions about the earth. Accessibility to these advances requires that resources: both information and tools, be available to geoscientists. With GeoSci.xyz, we are motivated to lower barriers to entry into geophysics, as such, we are working to build engaging informational resources: Geophysics for Practicing Geoscientists (GPG), Electromagnetic Geophysics (EM) and connect to software resources for Simulation and Parameter Estimation in Geophysics (SimPEG). Each component has its own primary development team and an ever-expanding list of contributors.

The goal of GeoSci.xyz is to be a portal for information and computational resources for geoscientists. It is modular in design and each component is open-source with content licensed under Creative Commons 4.0. GeoSci.xyz is under construction and hopefully always will be! We welcome collaborators - if you would like to join, get in touch!