All supported Geosoft spatial datasets, such as databases, maps, grids, voxels, etc., maintain metadata that describes the data. The metadata is stored as XML in a file next to the data file, or among the set of files for file types that use file sets. The metadata XML file will have the name of the main dataset file with '.xml' appended. For example, a grid file named 'mag.grd' will have a metadata XML file named 'mag.grd.xml'.
Geosoft created metadata will conform to ISO 19139 (https://www.iso.org/standard/32557.html) or FGDC (https://www.fgdc.gov/metadata). ISO 19139 is the Geosoft default. Organizations that work under the FGDC standard will have a custom metadata editor and controls that ensure FGDC compliance. Geosoft maintains Geosoft specific metadata in a node tagged "geosoft" that will be present inside the "<gmd:MD_Metadata>" tag for ISO metadata and inside the "<metadata>" tag for FGDC metadata.
The following describes the schema for the standard items that Geosoft maintains in default dataset metadata (see also
SingleDataset.metadataeditor_config, which provides a comprehensive list of permissible entries for various settings):
iso19139: <gmd:MD_Metadata xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.isotc211.org/2005/gmd ../schemas/iso19139fra/gmd/gmd.xsd" xmlns:fo="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Format" xmlns:map="urn:brgm:mapping" xmlns:gmd="http://www.isotc211.org/2005/gmd" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:gml="http://www.opengis.net/gml" xmlns:gts="http://www.isotc211.org/2005/gts" xmlns:gmx="http://www.isotc211.org/2005/gmx" xmlns:gfc="http://www.isotc211.org/2005/gfc" xmlns:gco="http://www.isotc211.org/2005/gco"> <geosoft xmlns="http://www.geosoft.com/schema/geo"> ... </geosoft> <gmd:dataQualityInfo> ... </gmd:dataQualityInfo> <gmd:identificationInfo> ... </gmd:identificationInfo> <gmd:contact> ... </gmd:contact> <gmd:dataSetURI> ... </gmd:dataSetURI> </gmd:MD_Metadata> fgdc: <metadata> <geosoft xmlns="http://www.geosoft.com/schema/geo"> ... </geosoft> <idinfo> ... </idinfo> <distinfo> ... </distinfo> <metainfo> ... </metainfo> </metadata> # metadata mappings... The metadata editor configuration describes the dropdown options and the specific structure of each metadata field: geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:title" fgdc="idinfo/citation/citeinfo/title" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:citation/gmd:CI_Citation/gmd:title/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:purpose" fgdc="idinfo/descript/purpose" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:purpose/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:subject" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/theme/themekey" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:descriptiveKeywords/gmd:MD_Keywords/gmd:keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:category" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/theme/themekey" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:descriptiveKeywords/gmd:MD_Keywords/gmd:keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:type" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/theme/themekey" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:descriptiveKeywords/gmd:MD_Keywords/gmd:keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:file_format" fgdc="distinfo/stdorder/digform/digtinfo/formname" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:resourceFormat/gmd:MD_Format/gmd:name/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:weblink" fgdc="metainfo/metextns/onlink" iso19139="gmd:dataSetURI/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:description" fgdc="idinfo/descript/abstract" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:abstract/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:continent" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/place/placekey" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:descriptiveKeywords/gmd:MD_Keywords/gmd:keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:country" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/place/placekey" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:descriptiveKeywords/gmd:MD_Keywords/gmd:keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:province_state" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/place/placekey" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:descriptiveKeywords/gmd:MD_Keywords/gmd:keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:region" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/place/placekey" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:descriptiveKeywords/gmd:MD_Keywords/gmd:keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:project_name" fgdc="idinfo/descript/supplinf" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:citation/gmd:CI_Citation/gmd:collectiveTitle/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:data_source" fgdc="idinfo/datacred" iso19139="gmd:dataQualityInfo/gmd:DQ_DataQuality/gmd:lineage/gmd:LI_Lineage/gmd:source/gmd:LI_Source/gmd:description/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:project_type" fgdc="idinfo/projecttype" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:topicCategory/gmd:MD_TopicCategoryCode" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:resolution" fgdc="idinfo/srcscale" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:spatialResolution/gmd:MD_Resolution/gmd:distance" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:unitofmeasurement" fgdc="idinfo/unitofmeasurement" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/geox:unitofmeasurement/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:data_created_by" fgdc="dataqual/lineage/procstep/proccont/cntinfo/cntperp/cntper" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:pointOfContact/gmd:C_ResponsibleParty/gmd:individualName/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:data_creation_date" fgdc="dataqual/lineage/procstep/procdate" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:citation/gmd:CI_Citation/gmd:date/gmd:CI_Date/gmd:date/gco:Date" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:metadata_created_by" fgdc="metainfo/metc/cntinfo/cntperp/cntper" iso19139="gmd:contact/gmd:C_ResponsibleParty/gmd:individualName/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:metadata_creation_date" fgdc="metainfo/metd" iso19139="gmd:dateStamp/gco:Date" useCurrent="true" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:confidentiality" fgdc="idinfo/accconst" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:resourceSpecificUsage/gmd:MD_Usage/gmd:specificUsage/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:title" fgdc="idinfo/citation/citeinfo/title" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/citation/CI_Citation/title/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:purpose" fgdc="idinfo/descript/purpose" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/purpose/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:subject" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/theme/themekey" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/descriptiveKeywords/MD_Keywords/keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:category" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/theme/themekey" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/descriptiveKeywords/MD_Keywords/keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:type" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/theme/themekey" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/descriptiveKeywords/MD_Keywords/keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:file_format" fgdc="distinfo/stdorder/digform/digtinfo/formname" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/resourceFormat/MD_Format/name/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:weblink" fgdc="metainfo/metextns/onlink" iso19139="dataSetURI/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:description" fgdc="idinfo/descript/abstract" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/abstract/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:continent" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/place/placekey" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/descriptiveKeywords/MD_Keywords/keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:country" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/place/placekey" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/descriptiveKeywords/MD_Keywords/keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:province_state" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/place/placekey" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/descriptiveKeywords/MD_Keywords/keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:region" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/place/placekey" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/descriptiveKeywords/MD_Keywords/keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:project_name" fgdc="idinfo/descript/supplinf" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/citation/CI_Citation/collectiveTitle/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:data_source" fgdc="idinfo/datacred" iso19139="dataQualityInfo/DQ_DataQuality/lineage/LI_Lineage/source/LI_Source/description/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:project_type" fgdc="idinfo/projecttype" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/topicCategory/MD_TopicCategoryCode" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:resolution" fgdc="idinfo/srcscale" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/spatialResolution/MD_Resolution/distance" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:unitofmeasurement" fgdc="idinfo/unitofmeasurement" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/geox:unitofmeasurement/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:data_created_by" fgdc="dataqual/lineage/procstep/proccont/cntinfo/cntperp/cntper" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/pointOfContact/C_ResponsibleParty/individualName/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:data_creation_date" fgdc="dataqual/lineage/procstep/procdate" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/citation/CI_Citation/date/CI_Date/date/gco:Date" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:metadata_created_by" fgdc="metainfo/metc/cntinfo/cntperp/cntper" iso19139="contact/C_ResponsibleParty/individualName/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/geo:metadata_creation_date" fgdc="metainfo/metd" iso19139="dateStamp/gco:Date" geosoft="geosoft/geo:dataset/geo:confidentiality" fgdc="idinfo/accconst" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/resourceSpecificUsage/MD_Usage/specificUsage/gco:CharacterString"