Global whole-rock geochemical database compilation

Abstract

Collation and dissemination of geochemical data are critical to promote rapid, creative, and accurate research and place new results in an appropriate global context. To this end, we have compiled a global whole-rock geochemical database, sourced from various existing databases and supplemented with an extensive list of individual publications. Currently the database stands at 1,022,092 samples with varying amounts of associated sample data, including major and trace element concentrations, isotopic ratios, and location information. Spatial and temporal distribution is heterogeneous; however, temporal distributions are enhanced over some previous database compilations, particularly in ages older than ~1000Ma. Also included are a range of geochemical indices, various naming schema, and physical property estimates computed on a major element normalized version of the geochemical data for quick reference. This compilation will be useful for geochemical studies requiring extensive data sets, in particular those wishing to investigate secular temporal trends. The addition of physical properties, estimated from sample chemistry, represents a unique contribution to otherwise similar geochemical databases. The data are published in .csv format for the purposes of simple distribution, but exist in a structure format acceptable for database management systems (e.g. SQL). One can either manipulate these data using conventional analysis tools such as MATLAB®, Microsoft® Excel, or R, or upload them to a relational database management system for easy querying and management of the data as unique keys already exist. The data set will continue to grow and be improved, and we encourage readers to contact us or other database compilations within about any data that are yet to be included. The data files described in this paper are available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.2592822 (Gard et al., 2019a).