EPOS, the European Plate Observing System, is a multidisciplinary, distributed research infrastructure that facilitates the integrated use of data, data products, and facilities from the solid Earth science community in Europe.

EPOS  brings together Earth scientists, national research infrastructures, ICT (Information & Communication Technology) experts, decision makers, and public to develop new concepts and tools for accurate, durable, and sustainable answers to societal questions concerning geo-hazards and those geodynamic phenomena (including geo-resources) relevant to the environment and human welfare.

EPOS vision
To ensure sustainable and universal use and re-use of multidisciplinary solid Earth science data and products fostering state-of-the-art research and innovation.

EPOS mission
To establish and underpin a sustainable and long-term access to solid Earth science data and services integrating diverse European Research Infrastructures under a common federated framework.

 

What Are EPOS' Goals?

The EPOS overarching goal is to establish a comprehensive multidisciplinary research platform for the Earth sciences in Europe. 

EPOS aims to:

  • represent a scientific vision and approach in which innovative multidisciplinary research is made possible for a better understanding of the physical processes controlling earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, unrest episodes and tsunamis as well as those driving tectonics and Earth surface dynamics;
  • establish a long-term plan to facilitate the integrated use of data, models and facilities from existing, and new distributed research infrastructures (RIs), for solid Earth science;
  • adopt appropriate legal solutions to manage distributed pan European Research Infrastructures, securing on a common and shared data policy, the open access and the transparent use of data and guaranteeing mutual respect of the intellectual property rights.

Find out about our Functional Architecture