We are delighted to announce that Earth Sciences NZ has joined the landmark memorandum of agreement (MoA) originally established by the European Plate Observing System (EPOS), AuScope in Australia and EarthScope Consortium in the USA. This expansion underscores our shared commitment to building a truly global, collaborative research infrastructure for the solid Earth sciences.
The original MoA, signed by EPOS, AuScope and EarthScope, marked the beginning of a new era of geoscientific collaboration across continents — with a shared vision to pool data, tools, expertise and governance practices in order to advance research on critical global challenges.
With Earth Sciences NZ now joining the partnership, we are extending that vision even more into the Southern Hemisphere’s unique research environment and strengthening our global reach.
Graham Leonard, General Manager - Geological Hazards at Earth Sciences New Zealand, summarized the mutual benefits of Earth Sciences NZ joining the MoA:
“I’m excited by the new global opportunities for understanding our continent and the planet, opened up by the partnership with EPOS ERIC, AuScope and EarthScope. Joining this growing international network of research infrastructures will generate new valuable science impact through aligning international standards, accelerate the development of interoperable data systems and advance open science with our partners.”
Why This Expansion Matters
By bringing Earth Sciences NZ into the fold, the collaboration gains access to additional observational infrastructure, data repositories and regional expertise from New Zealand — a geologically active region offering unique insights into tectonics, volcanic processes and natural hazard dynamics. This inclusion reinforces our aim to make data FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and to apply the CARE principles (Collective benefit, Authority to control, Responsibility, Ethics) in an international context.
Concrete Commitments & Next Steps
- Convening an expanded working group in early 2026 to integrate the contributions of Earth Sciences NZ into the partnership’s governance, data-interoperability and capacity-building efforts.
- Technical workshops will now accommodate the new regional data and infrastructure context, helping align standards and promote interoperability across Europe, Australia, the USA and New Zealand.
- Together we will continue to welcome additional global partners, inviting research infrastructures from all world regions to join and help build a truly inclusive, global geoscientific community.
The Global Vision
As we embark on this next phase with Earth Sciences NZ, we reaffirm our pursuit of open, collaborative science aimed at addressing high-impact challenges such as disaster mitigation, resource sustainability, and climate change adaptation.
We look forward to working with our growing global network of research infrastructures, data providers and scientific users to deliver FAIR and CARE-compliant services and data, and to foster innovation in the Earth sciences on a truly global scale. We welcome expressions of interest from research infrastructures worldwide that share our commitment to open and interoperable Earth science.
