University at Buffalo (UB)
Tephra Data Systems 2023 Workshop
The Tephra Data Systems 2023 Workshop was held June 7–11, 2023 at Playa at Summer Lake, Oregon, USA. Tephra plays a unique and critical role in dating earth events by providing widespread, precise time markers in the form of layers generated by explosive volcanic eruptions.
The workshop was dedicated to the continued development of tephrochronology data systems to enable the global recognition of these time markers. Eighteen researchers from seven countries participated in field work, talks, brainstorming and contributing to a workshop white paper. The workshop was a follow up to the initial Tephra 2014 workshop (also co-sponsored by the center), and others in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022. The goals of the workshop were to:
- Describe a grand vision of a global tephra data system
- Develop a model of the process of collection of data on tephra layers, entry of those data into a database, and connecting those data among databases
- Share software tools (e.g., scripts, source code) for manipulating data and discussing the goal of data formats conducive to visualization tools, and
- Discuss long term archiving of data – how this can be accomplished to ease the burden on future researchers