The data collection presented here is the data inventory of the VARved sediments DAtabase (VARDA) in version 1.3. VARDA is freely accessible and was created to assess outputs from climate models with high-resolution terrestrial palaeoclimatic proxies. All data were collected as raw data from freely available online sources, either from online data repositories (Pangaea, NOAA, and Neotoma) or data archives within the supplementary materials section of online publications. The current data collection consists of meta information and datasets from 95 lake archives. The data is stored in JSON and CSV format. All datasets are stored as individual files (JSON and CSV). Each dataset consists of samples for either i) chronologies; ii) radiocarbon data; iii) tephra layer; or iv) varve thickness data. Meta-information for each dataset is summarized in one csv and seven JSON files. Additional paleoclimate proxy data will be provided in forthcoming updates of VARDA.
The data collection of VARDA Version 1.3 is provided as an archive (.tar.gz) with the following files/folders. Overview lists with categories, cores, countries, datasets, lakes and publications included in VARDA. Each item in the lists is cross-referenced with the other files via its $ref property which includes the corresponding list index or the dataset's UUID (from the VARDA database). The data points themselves are provided in the "records" folder and named with each dataset's UUID respectively. For more information on the data structure please read the "index.html" file included in the archive and available on the DOI landing page.
VERSION HISTORY:
26 July 2020: release of Version 1.3:
1. Fix issues with chronologies in the export
2. Provide recalculated machine readable error estimates
3. Correct some metadata values (e.g. core labels)
5 March 2020: release of Version 1.1
1. Added fields:
"distributor" - Field containing name of data distributor
"url" - Field containing DOIs and URLs, which lead to the original data publications
2. Correction of publication DOIs in 9 cases
The version 1.0 is available in the "previous-versions" subfolder via the Data Download link. The index file is unchanged.
We present a compilation and analysis of 1099 Holocene relative shore-level (RSL) indicators including 867 relative sea-level data points and 232 data points from the Ancylus Lake and the following transitional phase from 10.7 to 8.5 ka BP located around the Baltic Sea. The spatial distribution covers the Baltic Sea and near-coastal areas fairly well, but some gaps remain mainly in Sweden. RSL data follow the standardized HOLSEA format and, thus, are ready for spatially comprehensive applications in, e.g., glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) modelling.
Sampling method
The data set is a compilation of rather different samples from geological, geomorphological and archaeological studies. Most of the data was already published in different formats. In this compilation we homogenized the meta information of the available information according to the HOLSEA database format, https://www.holsea.org/archive-your-data, which is a modification of the recommendations given in Hijma et al. (2015).
In addition to the reformatting, the majority of samples with radiocarbon dating were recalibrated with oxcal-software using the calib13 and marine13 curves. Furthermore, all sample descriptions were critically checked for consistency in positioning, levelling and indicative meaning by experts of the respective geographic region see Supplement 2.
Analytical method
In principle, it is a compilation, recalibration and revision of already published data.
Data Processing
Data of individual compilations were revised and imported into a relational database system. Therein, the data was transferred into the HOLSEA format by specified rules. By this procedure, a homogeneous categorisation was achieved without losing the original data. Also this is stored in the relational database system allowing for later updates of the transfer procedure or a recalibration of the data.
Description of data table HOLSEA-baltic-yymmdd.xlsx
The workbook in excel format contains 5 sheets, see https://www.holsea.org/archive-your-data:
· Long-form, containing the complete information available for each sample
· Short-form, a subset of attributes of the Long-form sheet
· Radiocarbon, containing the radiocarbon dating information of the respective samples
· U-series, a corresponding table containing the respective information of Uranium dating
· References, a complete reference list of the primary publications in which the individual data sampling is described.
All online sources for the compilation are included in the metadata. A full list of source references is provided in the data description file.
Central Europe is an intraplate domain which is characterized by low to moderate seismicity with records of larger seismic events occurring in historical and recent times. These records of seismicity are restricted to just over one thousand years. This does not reflect the long seismic cycles in Central Europe which are expected to be in the order of tens of thousands of years.
Therefore, we have developed a paleoseismic database (PalSeisDB) that documents the records of paleoseismic evidence (trenches, soft-sediment deformation, mass movements, etc.) and extends the earthquake record to at least one seismic cycle. It is intended to serve as one important basis for future seismic hazard assessments. In the compilation of PalSeisDB, paleoseismic evidence features are documented at 129 different locations in the area of Germany and adjacent regions.
A brief explanation of the folder structure, file list and file contents included in the data publication of PalSeisDB is provided in the data description .A detailed explanation of the data collection, the content of the data files and the table headers is available (Hürtgen et al., 2020). A full list of source references for PalSeisDB is provided in Hürtgen (2017, Appendix 8.3, p. 128 ff) and also included in the zip folder here