Data submission

The guidelines provided are intended to streamline data submission and you are encouraged to adhere to them when providing data to GEOTRACES.  They catalogue data standards, file formats and information that should accompany data to ensure their long-term usefulness. 

A DATASET description metadata template is available to download, which should be used when submitting data to GDAC or national data centers. Before submitting data to GDAC, please check if data should first be submitted through either the chief scientist of each cruise, or through national data centers.

The general guide for data submission contains information on the mechanisms for delivering data to the GEOTRACES International Data Assembly Centre (GDAC), plus formatting and a description of the information required for all types of data.

A series of guides for specific types of data, based on guidelines from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Working Group on Marine Data Management (WGMDM), are provided below.

Note that these guides provide a target standard for data submissions to GEOTRACES. Please do not be discouraged from sending us data even if some of the information is unavailable. We fully understand that there are many reasons why the standards specified may not be completely achieved.

It is not necessary to double up on the metadata you provide, some of the requirement data fields will have already been supplied in the metadata form.