The WebGeochem data search engine is a part of the Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys’ (DGGS) digital geologic database project. This project established a spatially referenced relational database for DGGS’s geologic information and is building query tools, such as WebGeochem, that allow the public to find, identify, view, and download geologic data available from DGGS. DGGS’s geochemical data will be integrated with data from other agencies via the interagency web page <http://akgeology.info>.

Geochemical data for inclusion in the database originates from geochemical analyses published in DGGS reports and maps. Additional sources of data include U.S. Geological Survey, and other geologic literature related to Alaska that were compiled into lithogeochemical and resource assessment datasets by DGGS staff and University of Alaska faculty. More than 70 percent of DGGS’s geochemical analyses are available through this database; currently, WebGeochem contains over 20,000 sample analyses derived from 73 publications. Data from future DGGS field projects will be added to this database as part of the workflow.

Information that supports the geochemical data includes, if available, sample locations, rock type, rock descriptions, method of analysis, and analysis description. This information is gathered from original geochemical reports, publications, authors, analytical laboratory service companies, field notes, and maps. The collected analysis data and supporting information are inter-related and available through links on the analysis report page. WebGeochem provides raw data, with full documentation, so that users can perform data quality checking, manipulation, and secondary analysis.

The public can access DGGS’s WebGeochem database through a search engine <http://www.dggs.dnr.state.ak.us/WebGeoChem> on DGGS’s website. The search engine has three main modules: a search function allowing you to select specific sample and analysis types of geochemical data; a secondary search function allowing further data selection by geographic area or by pre-existing compiled datasets; and the third module is the resulting table of sample analyses with links to supporting information. Future plans for DGGS’s WebGeochem include a geographic search interface including map display of sample locations, and download options for the search results.

WebGeochem is a product of the federally funded Minerals Data and Information Rescue in Alaska (MDIRA) program, a five-year program mandated by Congress in 1998 and managed by the U.S Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).