EarthChem & Astromat: Aligning Research Data Infrastructure for Samples from the Deep Earth to Outer Space

The data facilities EarthChem and Astromat (Astromaterials Data System) deliver similar but distinct services for the curation and management of laboratory analytical data generated by the study of material samples. EarthChem, developed and operated since 2006 with funding from the US NSF, focuses on geochemical data of terrestrial samples, while Astromat - started in 2019 with NASA funding - is NASA’s primary archive for astromaterials samples data. Both facilities operate data repositories that curate, publish, and preserve sample-based data and maintain synthesis databases that aggregate and harmonize published data into ‘science-ready’ collections that enable large-scale data analytics.

While the two data facilities differ in scope and funding level, there is wide overlap in the requirements for and design of system architecture, metadata schemas, vocabularies, data curation workflows, policies, and functionality of software applications leading to substantial synergies and economies of scale in the operation of the data systems. The development of the Astromat Data Archive and the Astromat Synthesis has provided an opportunity to modernize EarthChem’s system architecture and software ecosystem. Astromat’s new cloud-based repository platform, the new architecture of the synthesis database, and the design of user interfaces were adopted and adapted for EarthChem. New curation workflows and tools are also shared by both systems. Metadata schemas and vocabularies are kept in sync to the degree possible, advancing consistent data best practices and standards in geochemistry more broadly. Common data curation procedures and policies make it easier to maintain compliance with repository standards and obtain certification by CoreTrustSeal.