While these data reside in vaults, the tape medium they are stored on deteriorates, and the data are not available to the public. The cost to rescue these data and to store them on a permanent medium that is easily distributed for use is about one tenth of one percent of the original cost of acquisition. These data that would otherwise be lost forever are valuable in research, education, and exploration. The intent is to have the geophysical and petroleum industries donate seismic data in digital form, accompanied by relevant documentation, to the National Energy Research Seismic Library so that the data might be made available to the public.
USGS workers transcribe seismic data onto CD-ROM for release to the public domain.
CD-ROM is inexpensive to produce and the user makes a relatively small investment in hardware. The discs can also store large quantities of data and information while remaining small and easily transportable. The third disc was prepared in cooperation with the Department of Energy's Morgantown Energy Technology Center , and included results of deep seismic studies from the Pacific northwest. Rapidly-deteriorating IPOD seismic data were rescued by USGS workers. Testing revealed that data on the original field tapes were deteriorating.