One of the primary purposes of the Geological Survey of Queensland (GSQ) is to improve the understanding of resource potential in Queensland.

GSQ creates, collects and provides geoscience data, information and advice on economic resources and seeks to develop an understanding of the geological properties of the State of Queensland, both at surface and in the sub-surface.

The Sensor, Observation, Sample, and Actuator (SOSA) ontology provides a formal but lightweight general-purpose specification for modelling the interaction between the entities involved in the acts of observation, actuation, and sampling, the activity of which is called a "sensor". It assists with describing the relationships between database properties and entities. It is built upon the The Semantic Sensor Network (SSN) ontology, a framework for producing machine-processable representation of sensor capabilities, properties, observations and measurement processes.

The Geoproperties Database is based on the SOSA/SSN ontology. Understanding this ontology is key to understanding the Geological Properties Database. See Figure 1 (High-level Geological Properties data model) below for an example of applying this ontology GSQ's data. Items such as "isSurveyOf" and "hasResult" are SOSA/SSN terms describing the relationship between entities in the Geological Properties Database.

The Geological Survey of Queensland is creating a new Geological Properties database as the single source of truth for historical and new data. You may see it referred to as "GeoProperties" or simply "GeoProps".

GeoProps streamlined several disparate legacy databases within the Queensland Government by coalscecing them into a single system. It provides a repository for new and legacy data and metadata submitted to the Department. It acts as a point-of-truth for much of the georesource data and metadata generated within Queensland.

Figure 1: High-level Geological Properties data model (Full model in Figure 2 below)

We seek to understand the geological properties of a geological or administrative 'Feature'. We undertake a 'Survey' on the Feature at a 'Site'. The Site may comprise the whole Feature, part of the Feature, or may encompass and extend beyond the Feature. The Survey yields 'Samples' that may be physical, such as a drillcore, or non-physical proxies such as photographs. We conduct 'Observations' on the Samples or directly at the site using various procedures. The Observation yields 'Results' as measured values or qualitative descriptions. We interpret the set of amalgamated Results to understand the geological properties of the Feature.

The table below demonstrates how these database elements may relate to each other for different data types (Borehole, Geophysics, Geochemistry) with example information.

Note: While each observation and result can be recorded, in many cases the practical application will typically see a truncated record. For example all results in a wireline log can be recorded, but in practice the LAS file is likely to be linked as an associated file to the site and analysed in standard software for the interpretation of las files. The array data contained therein has more utility in specialised software packages than in a database.

The observable or measureable properties of a geological or administrative Feature. The properties are derived from the combined insight of multiple Observations on a Feature as conducted by a Survey. Examples include, but not limited to: mineralogy, hydrocarbon potential, hydrological properties, stratigraphy, and geologic age.

Geological Features are spatially-bound entities that have properties of interest for commercial, environmental and societal reasons. They are discrete, complete and internally coherent entities upon which there exists a consensus for its prescribed existence. For example, a stratigraphic formation may be a Feature of Interest, which itself may sit withn a larger Ultimate Feature of Interest such as a geological basin.

Administrative Features are spatially-bound entities that are defined and managed by regulatory agencies. For example, the Queensland Government can issue a Resource Authority ("RA" or "Tenure") which prescribes the allowable work area for the resource company who holds that tenure. As multiple Surveys are conducted, Observations made, and Results obtained, the Tenure becomes the Ultimate Feature of Interest.

Essentially, the scale of investigation will determine the Ultimate Feature of Interest, which itself is a collection of sub-scale Features.

• See GSQ Geological and Administrative Features vocabulary and GSQ Geo Admin Features Ontology
• See sosa:FeatureOfInterest

A Site is an entity or location within, wholly encompassing, or intersecting an Ultimate Feature that acts as a proxy to represent that complete (ultimate) feature. A Feature of Interest is proximate when it represents an ultimate feature, as opposed to being a discrete component of a larger feature. For example, an outcrop can be examined as a representitive of a formation, whereas a formation does not represent a whole basin but is a component of it. A Site may be a component of a larger Site, and may encompass or equate to the spatial boundaries of an Ultimate Feature of Interest.

• See the GSQ Site Profile

A Survey is a singular time-bound event examining a Geological or Administrative Feature and describes the type of exploration, assessment, or processing work that produces Samples or Observations. It involves a group of activities, such as Sampling and Observations, that occur together and have a defined relationship, typically being conducted on a Site. For example, a resource company may decide to conduct three different surveys – geophysical, geochemical, and petrophysical – on a tenure they hold.

• See Exploration Work Types
• See GSQ Survey Profile
• See sosa:Sampling

A Sample is an artefact produced that has enduring relevance and is a representative part of a Feature of Interest. It may be conducted as part of a Survey as part of sampling activities and is synonymous with "specimen" for physical artefacts.

A sample itself does not have to persist to have enduring relevance. For example, the Observations pertaining to a core plug or cuttings sample are still of interest even if the plug is destroyed, or cuttings are aggregated, or the sample is sub-sampled.

Samples may be original sample, sub-sample (where a sample is split into smaller samples), processed sample (where a sample content is retained but is processed to have altered properties), or duplicate sample (an identical sample).

• See the GSQ Sample Profile
• See sosa:Sample

An Observation is an act of carrying out a measurment using a procedure to estimate, calculate a value of, or describe a feature, site or sample. Observations differ from sampling in that sampling yields an artefact (for example, a physical specimen), whereas an observation yields a qualitative or quantitative Results (for example, a table of geochemical measurements for multiple elements).

• See the GSQ Observation Profile
• See sosa:Observation

For clarity, a 'Survey' is a singular activity that may be comprised of one or many actions, i.e. 'Observations' and 'Samplings'. Essentially, a Survey is a collection of observations, or an Observation Collection. For example, a 'Geophysical Observation Collection' may contain both magnetic observations and radiometric observations.

Further examples of Surveys and their potential Observations are shown below.

A Result is a description or a value, including a unit of measure, of an Observation performed on a Sample. For example, physical properites (concentration, mass, temperature), petrographic descriptions, geophysical measurements (gravity, magnetic field strength), petrophysical log measurements (gamma, density, resistivity).

• See Units of measure
• See sosa:Result

Figure 2: Geological Properties Conceptual Model

Figure 2a: Geological Properties Ancillary Tables

NOTE: A borehole is a specialised type of site. See the GSQ Borehole Database conceptual design. The Borehole Database is a component of the Geological Properties database.

• Geoadmin features ontology
• GSQ site profile
• GSQ survey profile
• GSQ sample profile
• GSQ observation profile

This code repository's content are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0), the deed of which is stored in this repository here: LICENSE.

Geoscience Information Team, Geological Survey of Queensland, Department of Resources, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, [email protected]