Basil Tikoff*
Department of Geoscience, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
T.F. Shipley
Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, USA
E.M. Nelson
Department of Geoscience, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
R.T. Williams
Department of Geoscience, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
N. Barshi
Capital High School, Madison Metropolitan School District, 1045 E Dayton Street, Madison, Wisconsin 53703,
USA
C. Wilson
Collaborative Robotics and Intelligent Systems Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331,
USA
Abstract
The field of geology is poised to make a fundamental transition in the quality, character, and types of
science that are possible for practitioners. Geologists are developing data systems—consistent with their
workflow—to digitally collect, store, and share data. Separately, geologists and cognitive scientists have
been working together to develop tools that can characterize the level of uncertainty of both data and
models. The transformational change comes from the simultaneous combination of these two approaches: digital
data systems designed to capture and convey scientific uncertainty. This approach promotes better data
collection practice, improves reproducibility, and increases trust in community-based digital data. We
applied these methods—attending to uncertainty and its incorporation into digital repositories—to the Sage
Hen Flat pluton in eastern California, USA, where two published maps provide different interpretations.
Incorporating uncertainty into our workflow, from field data collection to publication, allows us to move
beyond binary choices (e.g., is this data/model right or wrong?) to a more nuanced view (e.g., what is my
level of uncertainty about the data/model?) that is shareable with the larger community.
*basil@geology.wisc.edu
Manuscript received 23 Dec. 2022. Revised manuscript received 29 Mar. 2023.
Manuscript accepted 1 Apr. 2023. Posted 24 May 2023.
© The Geological Society of America, 2023. CC-BY-NC.
https://doi.org/10.1130/GSATG560A.1