NEAR FAULT OBSERVATORIES
DESCRIPTION
The TCS NFO Consortium integrates multiple organizations across Europe to provide coordinated, standardized data and services for the study of active fault zones and earthquake genesis. The consortium represents a collaborative network of nine member organizations and three observer organizations, contributing to the long-term sustainability of near-fault observatories (NFOs). By fostering transnational cooperation and harmonizing multidisciplinary monitoring practices, the consortium enables seamless access to high-quality data and innovative research opportunities.
● 12 Member Organizations from 7 countries
LEADERSHIP
● Chair(s):
o Lauro Chiaraluce – INGV (Chair of the Executive Committee).
o Gaetano Festa – UNINA (Chair of the Consortium Board).
o Alexandru Marmureanu (Chair of the Service Committee).
GOVERNANCE
The NFO is a Thematic Core Service (TCS) within EPOS's functional architecture, facilitating transnational governance frameworks for data and services. The NFO TCS coordinates common rules through the Consortium Agreement, harmonizing the community for long-term sustainability. National Research Infrastructures (NRIs) complexity is managed at the NFO level, with service providers adhering to EPOS data policy for data distribution on behalf of data owners.
CONSORTIUM COMPOSITION
● Member Organizations:
○ Italy
National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).
Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II (UNINA).
Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale (OGS).
Università degli Studi di Trieste (UNITR).
○ France
National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS.
○ Greece
University of Patras (UPA).
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA).
National Observatory of Athens (NOA).
○ Romania
National Institute for Research and Development of Earth Physics (INFP).
○ Switzerland
Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule / Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH).
○ Republic of Türkiye
Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute (KOERI).
○ Slovenia
Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU).
CONTACT
● Leadership:
o Lauro Chiaraluce – INGV (Chair of the Executive Committee) - lauro.chiaraluce@ingv.it
o Gaetano Festa – UNINA (Chair of the Consortium Board) - gaetano.festa@unina.it
o Alexandru Marmureanu - INFP (Chair of the Service Committee) - marmura@infp.ro