Gneisswork

Gneisswork: A free and open-source web application for field geological and sedimentological core logging.

Introduction

Gneisswork lets geologists create sedimentary logs in the field using any device with a browser. Create unlimited logs, record detailed bed-by-bed data, and export to CSV compatible with SedLog for desktop visualization.

Features

Create and manage multiple sedimentary log profiles with GPS metadata
Record detailed bed data: lithology (up to 3 components), grain size (clastic and carbonate), sedimentary structures, bioturbation, boundaries, paleocurrents, and facies
Drag-and-drop bed reordering
CSV export compatible with SedLog
Customizable reference data (lithologies, structures, grain sizes, boundaries)
Pre-seeded with standard sedimentological classification schemes
SQLite database, no external services required

Getting Started

Android APK (Mobile Field Use)

Download the latest APK from the Releases page or build artifacts from the Actions tab.

Installation:

Download gneisswork-*.apk to your Android device
Enable “Install from Unknown Sources” in Android settings
Install the APK
Launch Gneisswork - the app runs completely offline!

The APK is a standalone app (~50-80 MB) with Python, Flask, and SQLite bundled. Perfect for field logging without internet.

📖 See docs/ANDROID_BUILD.md for building from source.

Web App (Desktop/Server)

Requirements

Python 3.10+
pip

Installation

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/stark1tty/Gneisswork.git
cd Gneisswork

# Create a virtual environment
python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate

# Install dependencies
pip install -r sedmob/requirements.txt

# Run the application
python run.py

The app will be available at http://localhost:5000.

Running Tests

pytest

Docker

Run Gneisswork in a container with no Python setup required.

# Clone and start
git clone https://github.com/stark1tty/Gneisswork.git
cd Gneisswork
docker compose up -d

The app will be available at http://localhost:5000. The database and uploads are persisted in Docker volumes (db-data and uploads), so your data survives container restarts.

To stop: docker compose down To rebuild after updates: docker compose up -d --build

JSON API

Gneisswork includes a read-only REST API at /api for programmatic access to your data.

Endpoint	Description
`GET /api/profiles`	List all profiles
`GET /api/profiles/<id>`	Single profile with nested beds
`GET /api/profiles/<id>/beds`	All beds for a profile
`GET /api/profiles/<id>/beds/<bed_id>`	Single bed detail

All endpoints return JSON. Example:

curl http://localhost:5000/api/profiles

Roadmap

Missing from original app (conversion gaps)

Future enhancements

Background

Gneisswork was originally developed as a Cordova-based mobile app by Pawel Wolniewicz. This version is a rewrite as a Python/Flask web application, designed to run on any device with a browser.

References

Wolniewicz, P. (2014). SedMob: A mobile application for creating sedimentary logs in the field. Computers & Geosciences, 66, 211-218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2014.02.004

Zervas, D., Nichols, G.J., Hall, R., Smyth, H.R., Lüthje, C., & Murtagh, F. (2009). SedLog: A shareware program for drawing graphic logs and log data manipulation. Computers & Geosciences, 35(10), 2151-2159. https://sedlog.rhul.ac.uk/

Citing Gneisswork

If you use Gneisswork in your research or publications, please cite the appropriate version:

% This web application version
@software{gneisswork_web_2024,
  author = {stark1tty},
  title = {Gneisswork: Web Application for Field Geological Core Logging},
  year = {2024},
  url = {https://github.com/stark1tty/Gneisswork},
  note = {Python/Flask web application}
}

% Original mobile application (SedMob)
@software{sedmob_mobile_2014,
  author = {Wolniewicz, Pawel},
  title = {SedMob: Mobile Application for Sedimentary Logging},
  year = {2014},
  url = {https://github.com/pwlw/SedMob},
  note = {Cordova-based mobile application}
}

% SedMob research paper
@article{wolniewicz2014sedmob,
  author = {Wolniewicz, Pawel},
  title = {SedMob: A mobile application for creating sedimentary logs in the field},
  journal = {Computers \& Geosciences},
  volume = {66},
  pages = {211--218},
  year = {2014},
  doi = {10.1016/j.cageo.2014.02.004},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2014.02.004}
}

% SedLog desktop application (Gneisswork exports are compatible)
@article{zervas2009sedlog,
  author = {Zervas, D. and Nichols, G. J. and Hall, R. and Smyth, H. R. and L{\"u}thje, C. and Murtagh, F.},
  title = {SedLog: A shareware program for drawing graphic logs and log data manipulation},
  journal = {Computers \& Geosciences},
  volume = {35},
  number = {10},
  pages = {2151--2159},
  year = {2009},
  doi = {10.1016/j.cageo.2009.02.009},
  url = {https://sedlog.rhul.ac.uk/}
}

License

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v2.0 (or later), the same license as the original SedMob project by Pawel Wolniewicz.