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| ERIC for the European Plate Observing System (EPOS) | |
|---|---|
| Name | ERIC for the European Plate Observing System (EPOS) |
| Type | European Research Infrastructure Consortium |
| Established | 2018 |
| Headquarters | Rome, Italy |
| Region served | Europe |
ERIC for the European Plate Observing System (EPOS)
The ERIC for the European Plate Observing System (EPOS) is a pan‑European research infrastructure established to coordinate and integrate observational, experimental and computational geoscience resources across Europe, enhancing capabilities for studying Earth processes, seismology, and volcanology. It links national facilities, research institutes and international organizations to provide unified access to data, services and software for the geophysics and geology communities, supporting hazard assessment, scientific research and policy advice for bodies such as the European Commission and the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites.
EPOS ERIC consolidates distributed resources from member states including observatories, laboratories and data centers to create a coherent European infrastructure analogous to initiatives like the European Research Area, CERN, and European Space Agency coordination frameworks. It serves researchers from institutions such as the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, and national academies, while interfacing with programmes like Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. EPOS ERIC builds on precedents including the Global Seismographic Network and European networks such as the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre.
As a European Research Infrastructure Consortium instrument, EPOS ERIC operates under the Council of the European Union legal model that governs ERIC statutes, aligning with regulations applied to entities such as EMBL and EATRIS. Its legal seat is in Italy, where it coordinates with national authorities like the Ministry of University and Research (Italy) and national funding agencies including National Science Foundation equivalents and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. Institutional interfaces include partnerships with UNESCO programs, liaison with the European Plate Observing System National Research Infrastructure, and compliance with European data policies from the European Data Protection Board and European Open Science Cloud initiatives.
EPOS ERIC’s primary objectives mirror the missions of infrastructures such as ICRP and ESFRI: to integrate observational systems, provide harmonized data products, and enable multidisciplinary research across tectonics, volcano surveillance, and geohazards mitigation. Key services offer interoperable access to seismological archives from institutions like INGV, geodetic datasets from agencies such as European GNSS Service Provider, volcanological monitoring from institutes akin to Smithsonian Institution volcano observatories, and computational tools comparable to those developed by PRACE and EMBL‑EBI. EPOS supports workflows for hazard modelers, risk managers, and policy makers affiliated with bodies like the European Environment Agency and World Bank disaster risk programs.
EPOS ERIC is governed by a General Assembly of members, an Executive Board, and a Director, following governance models used by ESA, CERN, and EMBL. Membership comprises national research organizations and ministries from states including Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Greece, Norway, and others aligned with ESFRI roadmaps. Advisory bodies include scientific committees with representation from universities such as University of Cambridge, ETH Zurich, and Université Paris Saclay, and stakeholder engagement with organizations like European Geosciences Union and International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth's Interior.
EPOS integrates diverse infrastructures: seismological networks, geodetic arrays, volcanic observatories, geological laboratories, satellite remote sensing facilities, and computational services. It harmonizes metadata and data models leveraging standards promoted by ICSU World Data System, OGC, and the INSPIRE Directive, enabling federated access similar to systems run by Copernicus and the European Plate Observing System National Research Infrastructure. Data sources include continuous seismic streams, GPS time series from EUREF, InSAR products from missions like Sentinel‑1, and laboratory measurements from national facilities such as Rijksmuseum-affiliated collections and university repositories. Integration supports interoperability across platforms like EPOS Thematic Core Services and connects to analytics environments provided by EOSC and high-performance computing centers like PRACE.
Funding is a mix of national contributions, European Commission grants under programmes such as Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe, and in‑kind support from member institutions mirroring arrangements seen at EMBL and CERN. Long‑term sustainability strategies draw on diversified revenue streams including service contracts with agencies like European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, project funding from foundations such as the Simons Foundation, and collaborative ventures with industry partners including Thales and Schlumberger for applied services. Financial oversight employs mechanisms comparable to those used by European Investment Bank‑backed infrastructures and national research councils.
EPOS ERIC has enhanced scientific outcomes by enabling multidisciplinary studies that link datasets and expertise from institutions like INQUA, IPGP, CNRS, and University of Bologna, improving understanding of processes underlying phenomena studied in events such as the 2016 Central Italy earthquake sequence and eruptions at Mount Etna. Collaborations extend to international bodies including USGS, IRIS, and COSPAR, and to applied stakeholders such as Insurance Europe and civil protection agencies like Protezione Civile and Civil Protection (Norway). EPOS contributes to capacity building, open science, and resilience policies aligned with frameworks promoted by United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
Category:Research infrastructures in Europe