UC San Diego

Data archiving and accessibility is necessary for paleomagnetic research as researchersrepurpose published data to resample, reinterpret, and update records to determine information about the past geomagnetic field. MagIC is the most comprehensive database for magnetic measurements. Here, we examine the overlap and consistency across specialized databases specifically PINT and ICEPMAG which focus on geomagnetic paleointensity and regional Icelandic data respectively. We provide an overview of some current database issues and offer suggestions for improved interoperability. We highlight the need for straightforward unique data identifiers to enable database interoperability, and address inconsistencies and inaccuracies in some records that should be identical across MagIC, PINT, and ICEPMAG. Method codes are used to describe field and lab procedures that provide important quality information to users in each of the three databases but differ in their definitions. Only a fifth of the MagIC method codes are actively used and many codes appear redundant or are inconsistently applied. This limits their effectiveness for evaluating data and linking methods across databases. We recommend the use of field mapping applications to improve the accuracy and precision of location data. We suggest that MagIC should remove redundant method codes, implement a hierarchy of method codes for common experiment names, support a tool to help users select method codes, and implement validations for calculated paleomagnetic data. We consider it vital that the paleomagnetic community establishes a unique identifier for each data record (whether it be IGSNs or another identifier) to improve traceability as new databases are developed.