A COMPUTATIONAL ENVIRONMENT FOR THE MANAGEMENT, PROCESSING, AND ANALYSIS OF GEOLOGICAL DATA

The complexity and diversity of data and processing now being used in geoscientific data analysis are increasing at such a pace that it is d ifficult to maintain a single software package capable of performing a ll required tasks. A typical solution is to use a number of commercial software packages loosely linked via file format conversion routines or other customized communication paths. Creating and maintaining thes e paths is made difficult by both the number of distinct packages bein g used and the evolutionary changes taking place within each package. In this paper we attempt to create a generic model for a geological da ta processing task, identify some of the difficulties involved in perf orming these tasks using current technology, and outline a computation al architecture that may correct many of the deficiencies of existing technology. Our goal is not to provide a detailed design but to presen t some key issues and possible solutions as a foundation for discussio n and investigation. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd