GeoReM – A Cornerstone of Geoanalytical Quality: Honouring Klaus Peter Jochum and Advancing Toward a Sustainable, Modern Database Infrastructure

GeoReM, the database for geological and environmental reference materials, was established in 2005 by Klaus Peter Jochum (1944–2024) and maintained by him and dedicated colleagues at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz. His commitment to metrology and reference material quality made GeoReM a cornerstone in geoanalytical research. To ensure its long-term sustainability, the International Association of Geoanalysts (IAG) and the DIGIS team at the University of Göttingen have initiated the integration of GeoReM into the DIGIS|GEOROC database infrastructure. This contribution describes our roadmap towards establishung a new and updated IT infrastructure for restoring full interoperability between GeoReM and GEOROC, provided that funding will be provided.

This integration secures the preservation and continued curation of existing data while laying the groundwork for substantial technical and scientific enhancements. Planned developments include an expert user interface via API access, automated monitoring of data quality, and advanced filtering and screening capabilities based on analytical criteria. Statistical modules will enable method-specific outlier detection and robust interpretation of analytical data.

Restoring interoperability eventually also with other geoscientific and environmental databases, is a central goal. In parallel, quality-controlled datasets of recommended values for a wide range of reference materials will be provided for seamless integration into laboratory software via API. Another innovation will be a metadata-driven ‘expert quality control index’ for published data sets using GeoReM standards.

These efforts will ensure GeoReM remains a dynamic, quality-assured resource for future geoanalytical applications.