Current Projects
Geographic information science support for mapping projects at various spatial scales
Description: The Data Science Group is supporting the Mapping and Mineral Resources Group to produce several different geologic maps. The Arizona Geological Survey is currently undertaking a monumental effort to produce a new and updated 1:500,000-scale geologic map of Arizona. We are also completing detailed geologic mapping in areas such as the Big Sandy Valley, the Rt. 93 and I-40 corridors, the Safford/Duncan Basin, and will continue in southeast Arizona. We are also conducting compilation mapping to provide a regional, intermediate-scale, synthesis of detailed mapping, usually based on 1:100,000-scale USGS topographic quads.
Funding Source: US Geological Survey NCGMP: STATEMAP
Paleobiology Database
Description: We help maintain the Paleobiology Database (PBDB), a 25-year old international database of fossil occurrences used in 1000s of publications in paleontology and ecology. Our team maintains the online infrastructure, helps coordinate updates and additions, and assist with creating documentation (e.g., user guides and manuscripts) that assist users.
Funding source: National Science Foundation
Arizona Geothermal Data Catalog & Resource Evaluation (AZGDC)
Description: We are assisting our Energy Geology Group in conducting a statewide evaluation of geothermal resources. Our specific role includes legacy data compilation, data integration, and outreach with industry and stakeholders.
Location: Distributed locations throughout Arizona
Start & end dates: January 4, 2026 – January 3, 2028
Funding Source: Arizona Governor’s Office of Resiliency
Total award amount: $989,166
Link: Governor Hobbs' press release (February 4, 2026)
Ongoing repository maintenance
Description: We provide ongoing maintenance and modernization of geoscience data repositories through software engineering, database administration, publications management, and digital preservation practices. This work ensures that scientific data, maps, reports, and associated metadata remain secure, accessible, interoperable, and usable for researchers, agencies, industry, and the public over the long term.