Updating Rock with Pychron

Coding and Machine Learning. Image: Unsplash

This project aims to update outdated software across Ar-Ar laboratories in Australia to a unified open-source platform, enabling long-term accessibility, adaptability, and international compactability.

Overview

Australia’s Ar-Ar laboratories are a key piece of infrastructure for Australia’s Earth Scientists due to their precise applications in studying metamorphic events, resource exploration, and

Keeping up-to-date with evolving international standards and norms is required, mainly because much of Australia’s geology predates fossil evidence, which requires radiometric geochronology methods. Ar-Ar dating helps facilitate this; however, the underlying software that supports analysis must be constantly updated with a focus on operational continuity. This will help future-proof Australia’s National Research Infrastructure (NRI) to the benefit of numerous national industry, government, philanthropic and university users.

The Challenge

Current data retention software packages used by Australia’s Ar-Ar geochronology laboratories range from ‘in-house custom versions' to ‘Mass Spec’ software developed by Al Deino (Berkeley Geochronology Centre). This presents several challenges:

  • In-house software has been developed by individual ‘experts’ who are in the process of retiring.

  • Modifications to in-house or proprietary software are difficult as coding languages may be outdated and/or rely on Microsoft Excel-based macro workbooks incompatible with newer Excel versions.

  • Existing ‘off-the-shelf’ software (e.g. Mass Spec, ArArCALC) is either Excel-based (‘Visual Basic’) or bespoke programs, which poses another significant risk to ongoing support.

This project aims to address these challenges by integrating open-source Pychron software across Ar-Ar mass spectrometry, with a pilot being tested in the Noble Gas Geochronology Laboratory at the University of Melbourne.

Expected Outcomes

  • Installation and testing of the new Pychron software at the University of Melbourne’s ‘Noble Gas Geochronology Laboratory’.

  • Integrating Pychron into AuScope’s ‘Earthbank’ and testing upload functionality.

  • Touring Pychron to other Australian Ar-Ar Laboratories, including Curtin University, University of Queensland, and Australian National University.

What are the benefits?

  • Modernising the Ar-Ar Geochronology laboratories: Transitioning from fragmented, outdated or Excel-based software into a unified open-source software will enhance the reliability and sustainability of data processing tools fundamental to the Earth Science community.

  • Future-proofing National Research Infrastructure: Pychron's open-source capabilities will ensure long-term accessibility, adaptability, and international compatibility, helping reinforce Australia’s alignment with geochronology standards.

  • Improved Data Sharing: Integration into AuScope’s ‘Earthbank’ (formerly AusGeoChem) will help streamline data upload and sharing among peers, promoting FAIR data practices.

Who will benefit?

The modern, standardised software upgrades will benefit Australia’s Ar-Ar Geochronology laboratories (Curtin University, University of Queensland, Australian National University). The geoscience community, educational institutions, and industry sectors will all gain from more consistent, reliable datasets compatible with global standards and methods.

Access

  • Software Access: Pychron is open-access software readily available to anyone who understands the Python programming language. All code is stored in the open repository GitHub.

  • Data Access: All data created will be publicly accessible through the AuScope EarthBank platform.

Acknowledging AuScope

This project was made possible by support from the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) through AuScope. Acknowledging AuScope and NCRIS helps us demonstrate the value of shared research infrastructure, ensuring continued support and resources for the research community.

If you helped deliver this project or have benefited from its outputs, please credit AuScope so we can include your work in our impact reporting. For examples of acknowledgment, please visit our ‘How to Acknowledge AuScope’ page.

We’d love to see your work—please tag us on social media using:

@auscope | #AuScopeImpact | #NCRISimpact

 
 

Project Name
Updating Rock with Pychron

Project Lead

Timeframe
Jul 2025 to Jul 2026

Status
Active

Funding
Pilot 4

Host
The University of Melbourne (UoM)

Other Collaborators
Curtin University (CU)
University of Queensland (UQ)
Australian National University (ANU)

AuScope Programs

ECEAuScopeUoM, CU, Open-Access Tools, Software, Geochronology, Ar-Ar Laboratories, UQ, ANU, Pychron