Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research

Appendix III: Consensus Statement Written and Accepted at the April 1991 Workshop on Antarctic Seismic Data in Oslo, Norway

SCAR Group of Specialists on
Evolution of Cenozoic Paleoenvironments
of the High Southern Latitudes (GOSC)

A seismic data library system for cooperative Antarctic research:
a new concept for Antarctic data release

Solid-earth science disciplines have made major contributions to the understanding of our planet. Such work in Antarctica has long been recognized as having global
significance as applied, inter alia, to studies of plate tectonics and Antarctic glacial history, including its effects on world climate. It is therefore very important that freedom of scientific research in the earth sciences in Antarctica be maintained. Now, certain essential aspects of earth science research are being construed by some as hidden mineral prospecting. To avoid this perception it is essential that scientific data collected in earth science research using the same methods as are employed in prospecting - for example digital data from multichannel seismic reflection surveys and data from solid-earth drilling - be exchanged and made openly available at the cost of copying, in full compliance with Article III (1) (c) of the Antarctic Treaty. The scientific community has taken steps to accomplish this.
In April 1991, an international workshop with 21 representatives of 11 countries that have acquired nearly all digital multichannel seismic reflection data in the Antarctic Treaty area was convened to discuss scientific cooperation and data release. Consensus was reached at the workshop regarding the implementation of a new seismic data library system for cooperative research in Antarctica, under the auspices of SCAR. Library branches, located worldwide, containing multichannel seismic reflection data would be open to researchers for studies in Antarctic geoscience. It is expected that all such data, including those that have been previously released in other forms under Article III, will be incorporated in this library within 4 years. To the greatest extent feasible and practicable, new seismic data would go to the library branches no later than 4 years after data collection, and would be held in the branches for 4 years. These periods reflect the time needed for seismic data processing, and provide some limited initial protection of the collector's intellectual property rights. While data are in the seismic library branches they shall be used for cooperative research projects with the data collectors. Thereafter, the seismic data would be sent to the World Data Centers or other archives for general release. Implementation of the library system would start within six months, with the costs of the system being shared between the data collectors and the library users.
The SCAR seismic data library system was designed by the consensus of the entire Antarctic multichannel seismic research community to promote and help coordinate cooperative Antarctic seismic research. in the future, the library system may be expanded to include other types of geophysical data that would further enhance Antarctic geoscience research. Such a library system will be a major contribution to international research in earth science by the Antarctic community.