Macrostrat Version 2 is the culmination of a multi-year effort to improve the capacity and extensibility of Macrostrat. It was conceived in 2021, started in 2023 with new funding, and has been deployed over 2026.
Platform improvements
- Hosting. From one server to containers on a Kubernetes cluster at UW–Madison's Center for High Throughput Computing. Released March 2026. System architecture#Infrastructure
- Database. From MariaDB and PostgreSQL side by side to one PostgreSQL/PostGIS database. Released March 2026. System architecture#Database
- Map ingestion. A new staged map ingestion pipeline, topology model and compilations system. First compilations: the USGS National Geologic Synthesis, Japan, Arizona. Released October 2026. Map ingestion, Map compilations
- Website. Separate map, column and "Sift" applications were integrated into one multi-page site, with better navigation and efficient server-side rendering. The website gained new more informative column views (which have been in development for years), unified lexicon pages, and a documentation section. Released October 2026.
Web interfaces, changelog. The old version of the website can be found at
v1.macrostrat.org. - API v3. New APIs for authentication and data creation: In development. Data services
- Accounts. Sign-in with ORCID for everyone; tools that write data are being tested with collaborators, with a public beta to follow. In development. Contributing
- Rockd. Moving to the same infrastructure, in parallel. In progress. rockd.org
Next steps
- Contribution tools for the community, as the data tools open in a public beta. Contributing
- Domain data through a shared "facet" model, attaching geochemical, geochronological and other datasets to units and ages. Linking data
- Paleogeography, placing maps and columns through time with Corelle.
- Three-dimensional and structural geology, from the map surface into the subsurface, with field systems such as StraboSpot. Integrations
