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Archive of Geosample Data and Information from the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History

Published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Metadata Last Checked: January 27, 2026 | Last Modified: 2022-11-09T00:00:00.000+00:00
The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) maintains two collections that are represented in the Index to Marine and Lacustrine Geological Samples (IMLGS): Mineral Sciences Sea Floor Rock Collection: This collection includes dredged and cored specimens from mid-ocean ridges, seamounts, and fracture zones. Areas best represented include the Galápagos Spreading Center, Juan de Fuca Ridge, and the North Atlantic Ocean. This collection also features large collections of manganese nodules and basaltic glass, including the glasses that form the basis of the Smithsonian Volcanic Glass Data File. This collection grows over time through transfers from federal agencies and donations from private researchers, with many specimens collected during cruises and sampling events represented elsewhere in the IMLGS. Paleobiology Sediment Collection: Prior to August 2001, physical sediment samples collected by U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (USCGS) and NOAA National Ocean Service (NOS) personnel during hydrographic surveys were routinely sent to the Smithsonian Institution NMNH for curation. USCGS and NOAA/NOS hydrographic party personnel also generated forms documenting and describing these samples. Both the samples and forms were sent to the Smithsonian. Smithsonian staff then key-entered information from the forms into the NMNH Paleobiology Sediment Collection database. NOAA discontinued the practice of sending samples to NMNH in September of 2001. Also in 2001, NMNH gave NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) a copy of information from their database documenting USCGS and NOAA/NOS samples in their collections. This was a one-time transfer to make the collection searchable via the IMLGS database. No further contributions to the IMLGS are expected from this collection.

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Databases Scientific archives Electronic records Oceanography Ocean bottom Geology Submarine geology Marine sediments Marine geology Rock and sediment lithology and mineralogy Sea-floor characteristics Earth Science > Oceans > Marine Sediments Earth Science > Oceans > Marine Sediments > Sediment Composition In Situ Ocean-based Platforms > Ships In Situ/Laboratory Instruments > Corers > Coring Devices In Situ/Laboratory Instruments > Samplers > Dredging Devices In Situ/Laboratory Instruments > Samplers > Grabbers/Traps/Collectors > Grab Samplers In Situ/Laboratory Instruments > Corers > Sediment Corers In Situ/Laboratory Instruments > Corers > Box Core In Situ/Laboratory Instruments > Samplers > Trawls/Nets > Trawl IMLGS > Index to Marine and Lacustrine Geological Samples ICSU-WDS > International Council for Science - World Data System DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCEI > National Centers for Environmental Information, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NGDC > National Geophysical Data Center, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce Geographic Region > Global Ocean Vertical Location >Sea Floor Ocean > Atlantic Ocean Ocean > Pacific Ocean Ocean > Arctic Ocean Ocean > Southern Ocean Ocean > Indian Ocean

Complete Metadata
@type dcat:Dataset
accessLevel non-public
contactPoint 
                                            {
  "fn": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information",
  "@type": "vcard:Contact",
  "hasEmail": "mailto:ncei.info@noaa.gov"
}
describedByType application/octet-steam
description The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) maintains two collections that are represented in the Index to Marine and Lacustrine Geological Samples (IMLGS): Mineral Sciences Sea Floor Rock Collection: This collection includes dredged and cored specimens from mid-ocean ridges, seamounts, and fracture zones. Areas best represented include the Galápagos Spreading Center, Juan de Fuca Ridge, and the North Atlantic Ocean. This collection also features large collections of manganese nodules and basaltic glass, including the glasses that form the basis of the Smithsonian Volcanic Glass Data File. This collection grows over time through transfers from federal agencies and donations from private researchers, with many specimens collected during cruises and sampling events represented elsewhere in the IMLGS. Paleobiology Sediment Collection: Prior to August 2001, physical sediment samples collected by U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (USCGS) and NOAA National Ocean Service (NOS) personnel during hydrographic surveys were routinely sent to the Smithsonian Institution NMNH for curation. USCGS and NOAA/NOS hydrographic party personnel also generated forms documenting and describing these samples. Both the samples and forms were sent to the Smithsonian. Smithsonian staff then key-entered information from the forms into the NMNH Paleobiology Sediment Collection database. NOAA discontinued the practice of sending samples to NMNH in September of 2001. Also in 2001, NMNH gave NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) a copy of information from their database documenting USCGS and NOAA/NOS samples in their collections. This was a one-time transfer to make the collection searchable via the IMLGS database. No further contributions to the IMLGS are expected from this collection.
distribution 
                                            [
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Metadata Landing Page",
    "mediaType": "placeholder/value",
    "description": "How to cite this data set (doi:10.7289/V5J38QHJ), all access options, and complete documentation.",
    "downloadURL": "https://doi.org/10.7289/V5J38QHJ",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-steam"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Originator's Web Page",
    "mediaType": "placeholder/value",
    "description": "Information about the NMNH Department of Mineral Sciences specimen collection and information on requesting sample material",
    "downloadURL": "https://naturalhistory.si.edu/research/mineral-sciences",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-steam"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Table View",
    "mediaType": "placeholder/value",
    "description": "A table view for searching and exporting data for NMNH samples from the IMLGS database and accessing related links.",
    "downloadURL": "https://maps.ngdc.noaa.gov/viewers/imlgs/samples_table?repository=NMNH",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-steam"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Map viewer",
    "mediaType": "placeholder/value",
    "description": "Open an ArcGIS interactive map interface with the NMNH sample layer active, to search and download
                  data from the IMLGS database and access related links.",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/maps/sample_index/index.html?institution=NMNH",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-steam"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "The new IMLGS web application",
    "mediaType": "placeholder/value",
    "description": "The new IMLGS web application (2021), which uses a new REST-style API, provides a user interface for querying and displaying the IMLGS data.",
    "downloadURL": "https://maps.ngdc.noaa.gov/viewers/imlgs/",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-steam"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "NOAA GeoPlatform",
    "mediaType": "placeholder/value",
    "description": "Access sample information from the IMLGS using the NOAA GeoPlatform.",
    "downloadURL": "https://noaa.hub.arcgis.com/maps/49908f2749c74831ab4845a5cea8a90d/explore",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-steam"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Originator's documentation",
    "mediaType": "placeholder/value",
    "description": "PDF document containing historic NOS bottom type characteristics codes used in older, hand coded descriptions.",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/geology/nosseds/historic_codes.pdf",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-steam"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Parent Institution",
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    "description": "Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History",
    "downloadURL": "https://naturalhistory.si.edu/",
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  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Parent Database",
    "mediaType": "placeholder/value",
    "description": "Information about the IMLGS database at NCEI",
    "downloadURL": "https://dx.doi.org/10.7289/V5H41PB8",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-steam"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Parent Archive",
    "mediaType": "placeholder/value",
    "description": "Information about the Marine Geology Data Archive at NCEI.",
    "downloadURL": "https://data.noaa.gov/metaview/page?xml=NOAA/NESDIS/NGDC/Collection/iso/xml/Marine_Geology.xml&view=getDataView&header=none",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-steam"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Marine geology metadata records.",
    "mediaType": "placeholder/value",
    "downloadURL": "https://data.noaa.gov/waf/NOAA/NESDIS/NGDC/MGG/Geology/iso/",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-steam"
  },
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    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)",
    "mediaType": "placeholder/value",
    "description": "The Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) are part of a Linked Data Service, actively maintained since 1898 to catalog materials held at the Library of Congress.",
    "downloadURL": "http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects",
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  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "SeaDataNet Common Vocabularies",
    "mediaType": "placeholder/value",
    "description": "The SeaDataNet Vocabulary Server is populated with lists describing a wide range of entities relevant to marine metadata and data such as parameters, sea area names, platform classes, instrument types, and so on.",
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    "describedByType": "application/octet-steam"
  },
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    "title": "USGS Thesaurus",
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    "description": "The USGS Thesaurus contains thematic terms for categorizing information resources intended to support finding and understanding scientific information.",
    "downloadURL": "https://www2.usgs.gov/science/about/",
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  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Keywords",
    "mediaType": "placeholder/value",
    "description": "The information provided on this page seeks to define how the GCMD Keywords are structured, used and accessed. It also provides information on how users can participate in the further development of the keywords.",
    "downloadURL": "https://earthdata.nasa.gov/about/gcmd/global-change-master-directory-gcmd-keywords",
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    "title": "NCEI Contact Information",
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]
identifier gov.noaa.ngdc.mgg.geology:archived-data_NMNH-sample-repository
isPartOf Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History
issued 2001-12-31T00:00:00.000+00:00
keyword 
                                            [
  "Databases",
  "Scientific archives",
  "Electronic records",
  "Oceanography",
  "Ocean bottom",
  "Geology",
  "Submarine geology",
  "Marine sediments",
  "Marine geology",
  "Rock and sediment lithology and mineralogy",
  "Sea-floor characteristics",
  "Earth Science > Oceans > Marine Sediments",
  "Earth Science > Oceans > Marine Sediments > Sediment Composition",
  "In Situ Ocean-based Platforms > Ships",
  "In Situ/Laboratory Instruments > Corers > Coring Devices",
  "In Situ/Laboratory Instruments > Samplers > Dredging Devices",
  "In Situ/Laboratory Instruments > Samplers > Grabbers/Traps/Collectors > Grab Samplers",
  "In Situ/Laboratory Instruments > Corers > Sediment Corers",
  "In Situ/Laboratory Instruments > Corers > Box Core",
  "In Situ/Laboratory Instruments > Samplers > Trawls/Nets > Trawl",
  "IMLGS > Index to Marine and Lacustrine Geological Samples",
  "ICSU-WDS > International Council for Science - World Data System",
  "DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCEI > National Centers for Environmental Information, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce",
  "DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NGDC > National Geophysical Data Center, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce",
  "Geographic Region > Global Ocean",
  "Vertical Location >Sea Floor",
  "Ocean > Atlantic Ocean",
  "Ocean > Pacific Ocean",
  "Ocean > Arctic Ocean",
  "Ocean > Southern Ocean",
  "Ocean > Indian Ocean"
]
language 
                                            []
license https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
modified 2022-11-09T00:00:00.000+00:00
publisher 
                                            {
  "name": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
references 
                                            [
  "https://naturalhistory.si.edu/",
  "https://dx.doi.org/10.7289/V5H41PB8",
  "https://data.noaa.gov/metaview/page?xml=NOAA/NESDIS/NGDC/Collection/iso/xml/Marine_Geology.xml&view=getDataView&header=none",
  "https://data.noaa.gov/waf/NOAA/NESDIS/NGDC/MGG/Geology/iso/"
]
rights otherRestrictions, otherRestrictions, unclassified
spatial 103.46833,-64.96667,-175.34972,61.31333
temporal 1885-01-05T00:00:00+00:00/2000-05-17T00:00:00+00:00
title Archive of Geosample Data and Information from the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History

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