Macrostrat is a data system for the Earth's crust, integrating geologic maps and stratigraphic columns through time.

Platform

Macrostrat began as a research database supporting macrostratigraphy, a novel approach to quantifying the rock record at scale. Since then, the system has grown into a comprehensive platform for geologic data, an evolution which we continue with the Version 2 effort. Its development is centered at the Macrostrat lab at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Apps

The Rockd mobile app and other applications built with Macrostrat.

People

Contributors to the Macrostrat platform.

Publications

Research using Macrostrat.

Support

How Macrostrat is funded, and how to give.

Data

Geologic maps

Hundreds of geologic maps, harmonized into a single multi-scale mapping layer.

Stratigraphic columns

Navigating the rock record through time.

Lexicon

Stratigraphic names, timescales, and other ways to link geologic information together.

Services

Free and public, described in the documentation. Data are licensed CC BY 4.0: attribute Macrostrat and the original data sources.

Tile server

Vector and raster tiles of the integrated geologic map.

API v2

Columns, units, maps and the lexicon, as JSON, CSV and GeoJSON.

API v3alpha

The next-generation API, in development.

Documentation

How Macrostrat works, how to use it, and how to contribute.

  • Concepts and data model
  • System architecture and codebase
  • Contributing maps and columns
  • Using the API, tiles and QGIS

Citing Macrostrat

Data and analysis

Analytical use of Macrostrat APIs and data sets.

Peters, S.E., Husson, J.M., and Czaplewski, J., 2018, Macrostrat: A Platform for Geological Data Integration and Deep‐Time Earth Crust Research: Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, v. 19, p. 1393–1409, doi:10.1029/2018gc007467.

Website and project

The website, project, and its current collaborative design.

Quinn, D.P., Idzikowski, C.R., and Peters, S.E., 2023, Building a multi‐scale, collaborative, and time‐integrated digital crust: The next stage of the Macrostrat data system: Geoscience Data Journal, v. 11, p. 11–26, doi:10.1002/gdj3.189.

Macrostrat is a shared community resource that must be credited in scientific products.

  • Acknowledge Macrostrat as the source of any information or data.
  • Cite the paper describing Macrostrat's platform and/or data services that you used in your work.
  • In presentations, acknowledge Macrostrat by name and use the logos from the brand page.
  • If specific data sets were targeted, you should also include citations to the original references. These references are accessible from the API and web interface.

We seek to highlight apps and publications that use our data services. If you would like your paper or product listed, send it to us or ask to join the Macrostrat Zotero group.

Get involved

See the community and ways to contribute, or write to us.

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