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:
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... geosoft="geosoft/dataset/title" fgdc="idinfo/citation/citeinfo/title" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:citation/gmd:CI_Citation/gmd:title/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/purpose" fgdc="idinfo/descript/purpose" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:purpose/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/subject" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/theme/themekey" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:descriptiveKeywords/gmd:MD_Keywords/gmd:keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/category" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/theme/themekey" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:descriptiveKeywords/gmd:MD_Keywords/gmd:keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/type" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/theme/themekey" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:descriptiveKeywords/gmd:MD_Keywords/gmd:keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/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/weblink" fgdc="metainfo/metextns/onlink" iso19139="gmd:dataSetURI/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/description" fgdc="idinfo/descript/abstract" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:abstract/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/continent" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/place/placekey" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:descriptiveKeywords/gmd:MD_Keywords/gmd:keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/country" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/place/placekey" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:descriptiveKeywords/gmd:MD_Keywords/gmd:keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/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/region" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/place/placekey" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:descriptiveKeywords/gmd:MD_Keywords/gmd:keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/project_name" fgdc="idinfo/descript/supplinf" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:citation/gmd:CI_Citation/gmd:collectiveTitle/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/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/project_type" fgdc="idinfo/projecttype" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:topicCategory/gmd:MD_TopicCategoryCode" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/resolution" fgdc="idinfo/srcscale" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:spatialResolution/gmd:MD_Resolution/gmd:distance" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/unitofmeasurement" fgdc="idinfo/unitofmeasurement" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/geox:unitofmeasurement/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/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/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/metadata_created_by" fgdc="metainfo/metc/cntinfo/cntperp/cntper" iso19139="gmd:contact/gmd:C_ResponsibleParty/gmd:individualName/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/metadata_creation_date" fgdc="metainfo/metd" iso19139="gmd:dateStamp/gco:Date" useCurrent="true" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/confidentiality" fgdc="idinfo/accconst" iso19139="gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:resourceSpecificUsage/gmd:MD_Usage/gmd:specificUsage/gco:CharacterString"
geosoft="geosoft/dataset/title" fgdc="idinfo/citation/citeinfo/title" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/citation/CI_Citation/title/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/purpose" fgdc="idinfo/descript/purpose" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/purpose/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/subject" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/theme/themekey" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/descriptiveKeywords/MD_Keywords/keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/category" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/theme/themekey" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/descriptiveKeywords/MD_Keywords/keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/type" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/theme/themekey" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/descriptiveKeywords/MD_Keywords/keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/file_format" fgdc="distinfo/stdorder/digform/digtinfo/formname" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/resourceFormat/MD_Format/name/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/weblink" fgdc="metainfo/metextns/onlink" iso19139="dataSetURI/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/description" fgdc="idinfo/descript/abstract" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/abstract/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/continent" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/place/placekey" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/descriptiveKeywords/MD_Keywords/keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/country" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/place/placekey" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/descriptiveKeywords/MD_Keywords/keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/province_state" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/place/placekey" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/descriptiveKeywords/MD_Keywords/keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/region" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/place/placekey" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/descriptiveKeywords/MD_Keywords/keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/project_name" fgdc="idinfo/descript/supplinf" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/citation/CI_Citation/collectiveTitle/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/data_source" fgdc="idinfo/datacred" iso19139="dataQualityInfo/DQ_DataQuality/lineage/LI_Lineage/source/LI_Source/description/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/project_type" fgdc="idinfo/projecttype" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/topicCategory/MD_TopicCategoryCode" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/resolution" fgdc="idinfo/srcscale" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/spatialResolution/MD_Resolution/distance" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/unitofmeasurement" fgdc="idinfo/unitofmeasurement" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/geox:unitofmeasurement/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/data_created_by" fgdc="dataqual/lineage/procstep/proccont/cntinfo/cntperp/cntper" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/pointOfContact/C_ResponsibleParty/individualName/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/data_creation_date" fgdc="dataqual/lineage/procstep/procdate" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/citation/CI_Citation/date/CI_Date/date/gco:Date" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/metadata_created_by" fgdc="metainfo/metc/cntinfo/cntperp/cntper" iso19139="contact/C_ResponsibleParty/individualName/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/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"
The metadata editor configuration describes the dropdown options and the specific structure of each metadata field: