Geological knowledge to go online

Here is a good consequence of geology and technology combined - Guardian reports in 'Geological knowledge to go online' how there is an international effort to bring together online all the known geological information about every country in the world:

By making the data freely available and allowing researchers to track geological features across national boundaries, the project will make it easier to plan international projects, predict earthquakes and locate natural resources such as oil and gas.

Once the project, called OneGeology, is up and running the data will be searchable via the internet. "Geology has no respect for national frontiers," said Ian Jackson, who is coordinating the project for the British Geological Survey (BGS). "The data exists, but accessibility is the key." The project will also highlight parts of the globe where there is scant geological data. "We potentially know more about the surface of Mars than we do about some parts of the world," said John Ludden, BGS executive director. The team also want to give the site an educational angle, by explaining interesting geological features such as the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland.

This sounds like a great project - kudos!