chemistry

MetPetDB

MetPetDB is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand MetPetDB rather than just read about it. In short: MetPetDB is a relational database and repository for global geochemical data on and images collected from metamorphic rocks from the Earth's crust. MetPetDB is designed and built by a global community of metamorphic petrologists in collaboration with computer scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as part of the National Cyberinfrastructure Initiative and supported by the National Science Foundation.

Key takeaways

MetPetDB belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect MetPetDB to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of MetPetDB from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

MetPetDB is a relational database and repository for global geochemical data on and images collected from metamorphic rocks from the Earth's crust. MetPetDB is designed and built by a global community of metamorphic petrologists in collaboration with computer scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as part of the National Cyberinfrastructure Initiative and supported by the National Science Foundation. MetPetDB is unique in that it incorporates image data collected by a variety of techniques, e.g., photomicrographs, backscattered electron images (SEM), and X-ray maps collected by wavelength dispersive spectroscopy or energy dispersive spectroscopy.

Purpose MetPetDB was built for the purpose of archiving published data and for storing new data for ready access to researchers and students in the petrologic community. This database facilitates the gathering of information for researchers beginning new projects and permits browsing and searching for data relating to anywhere on the globe. MetPetDB provides a platform for collaborative studies among researchers anywhere on the planet, serves as a portal for students beginning their studies of metamorphic geology, and acts as a repository of vast quantities of data being collected by researchers globally.

Design The basic structure of MetPetDB is based on a geologic sample and derivative subsamples. Geochemical data are linked to subsamples and the minerals within them, while image data can relate to samples or subsamples. MetPetDB is designed to store the distinct spatial/textural context of mineral analysis that is crucial to petrologic interpretation. A web-based user interface allows a user to become member and download their search results. Approved members may become contributors and upload data to the catalogue and share with the public. More information about the data model and the design of the database is available on the MetPetDB Support Wiki.

Contents The database houses a wide range of information available for samples from all over the globe to be grouped into two categories: (a) observations and measurements (e.g. mineral data, images, chemical analyses), for which robust data models already exist, and (b) interpretative results (e.g. P-T conditions, crystallization ages, cooling rates, etc.), which are conclusions based on the observational data. Development of a robust data model for interpretative data is currently underway as of December 2010. The database system is beginning to incorporate several tools for data analysis and calculation that add considerable power to the researcher. MetPetDB differs from other Geochemistry relational databases (e.g. GEOROC, NAVDAT, PetDB) in that it incorporates unpublished data in addition to data published in peer-reviewed journals. The vast majority of data collected by metamorphic geologists is not presented in publications, and therefore, a forum for sharing this data with the public is an objective of MetPetDB. Contributors to MetPetDB also can store private data and create projects, or collections of private, public, and published data for sharing and organization. A comprehensive list of the publications and their published samples is located at MetPetDB Published Samples

References

External links Metamorphic Petrology Database (MetPetDB) - Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Petrological Database of the Ocean Floor (PetDB) - Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University Earthchem

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with MetPetDB

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what MetPetDB claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to MetPetDB before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about MetPetDB ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of MetPetDB

In research: MetPetDB appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses MetPetDB in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: MetPetDB is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Geochemistry, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for MetPetDB outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study MetPetDB in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what MetPetDB means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain MetPetDB out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is MetPetDB in simple terms?

Why does MetPetDB matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study MetPetDB?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on MetPetDB.