The National Science Foundation Division of Earth Sciences awarded the University of Wisconsin - Madison $267,427 on January 1, 2027, to compile and standardize a digital geologic dataset for Northern Eurasia spanning from Eastern Europe to Eastern Siberia, covering approximately 11 percent of Earth's continental crust.
The project creates open-access, machine-readable geologic data documenting the geographic distribution, age, lithology, thickness, and physical properties of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks across the region. The compiled dataset will be integrated into the NSF-supported Macrostrat database to enable quantitative analysis of how preserved rock quantity varies geographically and through geologic time, and to test whether rock-cycling models developed from North American data apply to this tectonically distinct region. The recipient will also develop and share inquiry-based learning activities for secondary school students to build skills in working with geoscientific data.
The award funds work under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) and runs through December 31, 2028, with place of performance in Madison, Wisconsin.