USPRR Continuing Operations Proposal

Recognition of the need for a polar rock repository grew from within NSF to help fulfill obligations under the Antarctic Treaty for greater international data access and to diminish the operational footprint of fieldwork in Antarctica. To that end, the United State Polar Rock Repository was created at The Ohio State University to accept rock samples and associated metadata from polar areas. This facility provides a way for researchers to evaluate samples before proposing a research program in Antarctica, hence lessening the environmental impact and costs associated with field work. The USPRR also maintains online sample, field map and rock physical property databases. The intellectual merit of the USPRR is that the rock repository disseminates scientific information to researchers, educators and students from around the world via the website: http://bprc.mps.ohio-state.edu/rr/samples/. The USPRR integrates geologic and geophysical data from cataloged samples to provide additional modeling constraints for geophysical modeling.

The broader impacts of the USPRR facility include lessening the operational footprint in Antarctica and providing information for educators and children to learn about polar geology via the website and by touring the facility. For children in the K-12 age range, the USPRR has created these educational links: a Virtual Tour of the Repository, Meet the Curators, Kids Space and Frequently Asked Questions. Working at the repository gives university students an opportunity to be trained in the geology of Antarctica and learn new skills in digital imaging, curation and databases.