Science Language Technical Team

The Science Language Technical Team (SLTT) is a diverse group of scientists from a variety of American and Canadian geoscience and resource agencies, and from academia. Our objective is to develop standardized science language for use in public-sector geologic-map databases.

The SLTT assembled in early 2000 as the Science Language Technical Team of the North American Data Model Steering Committee (NADMSC). Members were appointed in the following ways:

1. For the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), most participants were identified by Regional Geologic Executives from the USGS Western, Central, and Eastern Regions (see broadcast announcement by Associate Director for Geology Patrick Leahy). The USGS group includes representatives from the geologic-map editing units of the regional publications groups. Some USGS scientists were appointed by Coordinators of USGS line-item science programs;

2. Scientists from the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) were identified by Canadian members of the North American Data Model Steering Committee;

3. Scientists from State geological surveys were identified by the Digital Geologic-Mapping Committee of the Association of American State Geologists (AASG);

4. Scientists from the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and National Park Service were selected by the SLTT committee chair;

5. Scientists from academia were selected by SLTT committee co-chairs.

SLTT participants represent a broad cross section of public-sector geologic-map producers and map users in the United States and Canada.