EPOS

Tsunami

The Thematic Core Service (TCS) Tsunami coordinates, within the EPOS infrastructure, the provision of various tsunami-related services, such as data, instrument information, tsunami information products, numerical models, and hazard and risk products in Europe.

About

Tsunamis are large ocean waves triggered by earthquakes, landslides, volcanoes or atmospheric disturbances. They pose a significant hazard to coastal populations and can cause widespread devastation. Understanding tsunami generation, propagation, and impact requires multidisciplinary research and robust monitoring systems.

The EPOS Tsunami Thematic Core Service (TCS) Tsunami coordinates access to tsunami-related data, products, software, workflows, and services supporting tsunami science, coastal hazard assessment, and tsunami risk reduction.

The TCS Tsunami community brings together organisations and scientific resources serving basic and applied tsunami research, with a specific focus on the North-eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and connected seas, also known as the NEAM region. It is linked to the global tsunami community while supporting local and regional scientific and operational needs. The overall objective of TCS Tsunami is to establish sustainable, harmonised services for tsunami science and tsunami risk reduction management, providing access to and interaction with data, products, software, web-applications, workflows, and other services at the European level and beyond.

The TCS Tsunami became a Candidate Thematic Core Service within EPOS in July 2021 and was approved as a fully operational EPOS TCS by the EPOS ERIC General Assembly at the end of 2023.

Data & Services

EPOS TCS Tsunami services are organised around four thematic pillars, extending well beyond the provision of data alone.

Pillar 1 – Support to Tsunami Service Providers
Services and tools supporting interoperability, operational consistency and scientific/technical support to Tsunami Service Providers.

Pillar 2 – Tsunami Data
Access to real-time sea-level monitoring, historical tsunami catalogues, submarine landslide datasets, paleotsunami records, tsunami observation-point databases and impact databases.

Pillar 3 – Numerical Models
Software, workflows and benchmarking resources for tsunami generation, propagation, inundation, probabilistic forecasting, stochastic source modelling and high-performance computing applications.

Pillar 4 – Hazard and Risk Products
Services and datasets supporting probabilistic tsunami hazard and risk assessment, vulnerability analysis, exposure modelling and decision-support products.

A tsunameter buoy being lowered into the open sea from a research vessel

Community portals

Tsunami Data

The portal provides the main gateway to the TCS Tsunami service portfolio, including services for Tsunami Service Providers of the IOC-UNESCO NEAM Tsunami Warning System and tsunami datasets. Beyond data provision, it also offers numerical modelling tools, workflows, hazard and risk products, quality-assurance information, and community resources.

Tsunamidata.org is the primary reference point for the complete and continuously updated catalogue of TCS Tsunami services.

Internal Organisation

The Thematic Core Service (TCS) Tsunami coordinates tsunami-related services within the EPOS infrastructure. These services include real-time sensor data, historical tsunami data, numerical models and applications, workflows, and hazard and risk products.

The TCS Tsunami is a network of organisations and community resources aimed at serving basic and applied tsunami research and informing tsunami risk reduction in the North-eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean and connected seas (NEAM) region. The TCS is linked to the global tsunami community while supporting local and regional scientific and operational needs.

The official community portal for the EPOS TCS Tsunami is tsunamidata.org, which serves as the main gateway to the TCS Tsunami service portfolio, including services for Tsunami Service Providers, tsunami datasets, numerical modelling tools, workflows, and hazard and risk products.

The TCS Tsunami became a Candidate Thematic Core Service within EPOS in July 2021. It was approved as a fully operational EPOS TCS by the EPOS ERIC General Assembly at the end of 2023.

The TCS Tsunami community currently includes 30 partner institutions from 14 European countries. Its services are structured around four thematic pillars:

Support to Tsunami Service Providers.
Tsunami Data.
Numerical Models.
Hazard and Risk Products.

LEADERSHIP

TCS Chair:
- Marinos Charalampakis, National Observatory of Athens, NOA.
TCS Coordinator:
- Andrey Babeyko, GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences.

CONSORTIUM COMPOSITION

Member organisations:

The TCS Tsunami community currently includes 30 partner institutions from 14 European countries. The community comprises universities, public research centres, and private research centres. Due to the multifaceted nature of tsunami generation and impact, partner institutions cover a range of geo-hazards, including seismic, volcanic, landslide, and meteotsunami hazards. Since tsunami research relies heavily on numerical simulations and modelling workflows, computational science is also a key component of the community.

The consortium follows principles of openness and inclusiveness. It maintains strong links with the broader tsunami and geoscience communities, including related initiatives and networks in seismology, volcanology, landslide science, coastal engineering, high-performance computing, multi-hazard, and multi-risk research.

For the updated list of partner institutions and services, please refer to the official TCS Tsunami portal:

Official TCS Tsunami portal:https://www.tsunamidata.org/
Community page:https://tsunamidata.org/community
Legal and Governance page:https://tsunamidata.org/legal-governance

CONTACT

TCS Chair:Marinos Charalampakis, National Observatory of Athens, NOA.cmarinos@noa.gr
TCS Coordinator:Andrey Babeyko, GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences.babeyko@gfz.de
Official TCS Tsunami portal:https://www.tsunamidata.org/
Feedback:https://www.tsunamidata.org/feedback

Governance

The TCS Tsunami is operated within the legal framework of EPOS ERIC and adheres to EPOS policies on the Data Delivery Framework and the EPOS Data Policy.

The specific legal framework for the TCS Tsunami is governed by the Consortium Agreement and service contracts between TCS and EPOS ERIC.

The main governing bodies of the TCS Tsunami include:

Consortium Board (CB):Acts as the General Assembly of the TCS. It represents the partner institutions and is responsible for the consortium's main strategic and organisational decisions.
Executive Board (EB):Acts as the operating board of the TCS. It is responsible for the organisation of meetings, communication with EPOS ERIC and other TCSs, representation of the TCS in EPOS ERIC committees, and coordination of operational activities.

The Consortium Board and the Executive Board are supported by strategic and operational advisory bodies, including:

Strategy Board (SB):Discusses the community strategy for the development of new and advanced services, standards, data products, and software products.
Tsunami Service Providers (TSP) Group:Addresses TSP-related issues, specific TSP requests, and service needs. This group reflects a distinctive feature of the TCS Tsunami, namely the involvement of Tsunami Service Providers officially mandated for tsunami early warning in the Mediterranean.
User Feedback Group:Provides advice to the Consortium Board concerning service performance, user requests, and user needs.
VA/TNA Provider Committee:Discusses technical, financial, and policy aspects of virtual access, transnational access, and DDSS provision.
TNA Selection Committee:Launches TNA calls and evaluates proposals for transnational access.

Additional permanent or temporary boards may be created as needed by decisions of the Consortium Board.

Contact

Marinos Charalampakis

TCS Chair

cmarinos@noa.gr

Andrey Babeyko

Coordinator

babeyko@gfz.de

About Tsunami

Download Media Kit

3 Files

Brochure

Flyers and brochures that introduce the service, ready to read online or to print.

Presentations

Slide decks presented at conferences, workshops and community meetings.

Gallery

Photographs from the observatories, laboratories and field campaigns behind the data.

Want to know more?

Tsunami is part of “Active Earth Processes” thematic area. Read more about the thematic area or watch the next Thematic Core Service.

Active Earth Processes

Volcano Observations

The Volcano Observations (VO-TCS) provide long-term access to the Volcano Observatories and Research Institutions data and products. VO-TCS aims at implementing facilities allowing easy access to volcanological data and interoperable services.

Updates from “Tsunami”

News

TCS Tsunami endorsed by the UN Ocean Decade 2021-2030

EPOS TCS Tsunami Joins UN Ocean Decade to Enhance Global Tsunami Resilience

News

Apr 3, 2025

News

The EPOS community continues to grow: Welcome to TCS Tsunami!

With the signature of the TCS Consortium Agreement by 18 national research institutions from all across Europe, the Thematic Core Services (TCS) Tsunami is now fully operational!

News

Mar 6, 2024

CONTACT

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