Seamless access to national and European data and services will attract a variety of diverse users and benefit society as a whole in tackling major societal challenges stemming from the management of natural resources, including safety, natural hazards prevention and risk mitigation.

Providing a Central Data Access Point

EPOS is unique in providing an objective and comprehensive single access point to data, products and services from different data provider domains letting EPOS stakeholders benefit from the exchange of data and services. EPOS provides:

• Services and contact for objective Earth sciences data and information
• European knowledge, emerging trends, training, jobs and business opportunities
• New products, services and concepts for the public domain
• Springboard for users to develop their own concepts with EPOS data

Helping Scientists to Drive Science

EPOS can maintain and enhance the standard of living across Europe if we understand how Earth works. EPOS will accelerate this process, promoting effective use of data and the development of new ideas and new tools to test them. EPOS will drive innovation for science, adding value to existing national research investment.

Helping Governments Plan for Natural Disasters and Geo-hazards

Society needs resources to support home life, industry and business and it needs security in the face of natural hazards. Earth science underpins both these areas and EPOS will facilitate research innovation to support European society, now and in future.

Inspiring the Next Generation

EPOS will serve as the primary source of data and bring scientific advances as researchers find new and efficient ways of working. In turn, they will train the next generation of scientists to develop innovative models and methods to benefit society, in ways that are yet to be explored. Scientific discoveries of Creative young researchers will point the way to how we can further improve the infrastructure itself and the level of the service provided.

See how EPOS can benefit scientists and researchers, governments and society and the private sector.

Earth scientists know that it is important to consider both surface deformation and flows deep in the Earth’s interior, and their interactions, to understand the planet. Global change highlights the impact on human society of long-term changes at the Earth’s surface. The volume of data and breadth of physical and chemical processes involved demand new integrated approaches to collaboration.

Accessible Datasets for the Cross-fertilization of Ideas

Considerable advances in information technology now make an integrated approach possible, easing access to the deluge of data and products available across Earth science and related fields. Accessible datasets will bring novel cross-fertilization of ideas and leads to innovative research that is the key to future success.

Delivering a Strategic Distributed Research Infrastructure

EPOS delivers a strategic distributed research infrastructure which will link existing and new infrastructure and data in solid Earth science across Europe and interface with other global projects. It will promote innovative approaches for a better understanding of the physical processes controlling earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and provide fundamental data that will allow scientists to better inform society on natural hazards, such as earthquakes, volcanic events, tsunamis and major land movements.

The Long-term Integration Plan

From a scientific research perspective, EPOS will inform about the driving forces of global tectonics and associated Earth surface dynamics. From a technical point of view, the EPOS long-term integration plan consists of integrating existing national research infrastructures, such as seismic and geodetic permanent monitoring networks, in situ volcano observatories, and analytical and experimental laboratories, as well as facilities for data integration and numerical simulations. EPOS will provide open access to geophysical and geological data, and to the most advanced modelling tools while promoting cross-disciplinary approaches to Earth science studies.

• EPOS will link research communities, including IT, through an efficient, multidisciplinary research platform
• EPOS will provide new ways to access data, quality assured metadata and tools for analysis
• EPOS will promote the development of new data products and services

How can EPOS benefit governments and society?

Earth science underpins both these areas and EPOS will facilitate research innovation to support European society.

Safety in the Face of Natural Hazards is Essential for Society

Earth science explores the driving forces behind Europe’s geo-hazards, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides and floods. Earth scientists use natural and experimental data to model how geo-hazards arise and evolve. For example, combining data from volcanic structure, geochemical analysis, seismology and satellite geodesy allows researchers to track volcanic activity, giving societies at risk from eruptions a clearer idea of their potential exposure.

Helping Scientists Understand and Plan for Natural Disasters

Europe experiences rare but highly damaging events, including catastrophic volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Combining a sound physical understanding of natural hazards with the means to monitor and predict their occurrence will mitigate their effects, and help scientists to better understand and plan for natural disasters, leading to improved risk management and decreasing the impact of such episodes.

Multidisciplinary Data and Information is a Must

The secure and sustainable supply of natural resources – energy, water and raw materials – underpins strong economic growth. Successful societies depend on the science base to assess the genesis, extent and conservation of natural resources, to exploit them and discover new sources without detriment to our environment. Europe is experiencing increasing demand for resources, especially energy; whilst it has coal, oil and gas, and successful multinational companies that exploit them, there is also significant potential for unconventional sources such as shale gas. Developing energy resources and managing waste, safely and responsibly, requires multidisciplinary data and information.

Earth Science Data for Effective Decision Making

Earth science data can contribute to more effective decision making in multiple ways. Information can be used to identify emerging problems, trends and changes and monitor ongoing situations. EPOS services will help managers make well-informed decisions based on accurate scientific data. Similarly, problems can be anticipated based on forecasts and analysis of future trends.

How can EPOS benefit the private sector?

Adopting Communication Policies and Interaction Strategies

The engagement of stakeholders requires the adoption of communication policies and interaction strategies that are appropriate to the diverse stakeholders’ categories. The cooperation with the private sector is delicate as it does not simply involve scientific and financial issues, but also legal, governance and ethical issues; the latter being particularly relevant for an environmental research infrastructure as EPOS.

Harnessing EPOS Data and Services for Knowledge Transfer, Research and Innovation

The private sector can be a user of the EPOS platform to utilize data and services for knowledge transfer, research and innovation as well as a supplier of the EPOS RI when they provide access to data, products and facilities through shared data policies for scientific use. In principle, the private sector can also be a customer directly contributing to developing infrastructure components as well as building thematic services for solid Earth sciences. The EPOS strategic plan for cooperating with the private sector requires a clear distinction of roles and effective partnerships to fully exploit the technological and human capital already engaged in this publicly funded research infrastructure.

Discover EPOS' range of data services.