TCS Seismology builds on data and services of European Research Infrastructures for seismology to offer access to a comprehensive range of seismological data and products services. This data is available and consolidated within EPOS’ Integrated Core Services platform (ICS).
ORFEUS
ORFEUS (Observatories and Research Facilities for European Seismology) is a non-profit foundation that promotes observational seismology in the greater European region and beyond through the collection, archival and distribution of seismic waveform data, metadata, and closely related services and products. The data and services are collected or developed at national level by more than 60 contributing Institutions. They are further developed, integrated, standardized, homogenized and promoted through ORFEUS.
ORFEUS goals are achieved through the development and maintenance of data services targeted to a broad community of seismological data users, ranging from earth scientists to earthquake engineering practitioners. Two Service Management Committees (SMCs) are consolidated within ORFEUS, devoted to managing, operating and developing (with the support of one or more Infrastructure Development Groups): (i) the European Integrated waveform Data Archive (EIDA); and (ii) the European Strong-Motion databases (SM). A new SMC is being formed to represent the community of European mobile pools. Products and services for computational seismologists are also considered for integration in the ORFEUS domain.
ORFEUS services currently provide access to the waveforms acquired by around 15,000 stations in Pan-Europe, including dense temporary experiments, with strong emphasis on open, high-quality data. Contributing to ORFEUS data archives means benefitting from long-term archival, state-of-the-art quality control, improved access, increased usage, and community participation. Access to data and products is ensured through state-of-the-art information and communication technologies, with emphasis on federated web services that considerably improve seamless user access to data gathered and/or distributed by the various ORFEUS institutions. Web services also facilitate the automation of downstream products. Particular attention is paid to adopting clear policies and licenses, and acknowledging the crucial role played by data providers, who are part of the ORFEUS community.
There are significant efforts by ORFEUS participating institutions to enhance the existing services to tackle the challenges posed by the Big Data Era, with emphasis on data quality, improved user experience, and implementation of strategies for scalability, high-volume data access and archival.
ORFEUS data and services are assessed and improved through the technical and scientific feedback of a User Advisory Group (UAG), which comprises European Earth scientists with expertise on a broad range of disciplines. ORFEUS actively participates to EC-funded projects, either directly or through its participants.
EFEHR
EFEHR is a non-profit consortium of organisations and community resources aimed at advancing earthquake hazard and risk assessment in the European-Mediterranean area. EFEHR facilitates open-access to online data, interactive products and services relevant for seismic hazard and risk in Europe.
The European Databases of Seismogenic Faults (EDSF), the European hazard platform, and the European risk platform are the main services currently operated by EFEHR and integrated into EPOS Seismology. The EDSF is a service that offers a repository of geologic fault information in the Euro-Mediterranean area aimed at providing input for earthquake hazard assessment. The database compilation relies on published data at regional/national scale and their harmonization across borders.
The European seismic hazard platform provides access to online data, interactive products and services based on the output of several European research projects related to seismic hazard in Europe. These include seismic hazard maps, curves, uniform hazard spectra and disaggregation data.
The European seismic risk platform facilitates open-access to online data, interactive products and services based on the first European Seismic Risk Model. These include data, models and maps on the exposure and vulnerability of residential, commercial and industrial buildings and their inhabitants, and probabilistic estimates of damage, economic loss and loss of life across Europe.
EMSC
EMSC, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre, was created in 1975 to rapidly collect and provide information about earthquakes in the Euro-Mediterranean region. Earthquake parameters (mainly location and magnitude) reported by dozens of seismological observatories worldwide are integrated in real-time at EMSC to build comprehensive near-real-time earthquake information products. EMSC disseminates these products openly, and also collects and publishes eye-witness information about the effect of earthquakes.
The rapid transmission of earthquake information assists the EMSC member organisations and the scientific community in the assessment and investigation of the seismic events, and also helps citizens to have more information about a possible earthquake right after they sense the ground shaking. Within EPOS, EMSC further develops, expands and integrates EPOS compliant services to access seismological products provided by EMSC, partner institutions, and the scientific community.
The EMSC data access portal provides users with access to parameter data on earthquakes collected and produced by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre. It comprises event parameters, moment tensors, felt reports, provides access to seismic source (rupture) models, and hosts additional services to assist information management.
AHEAD, the European Archive of Historical Earthquake Data, was created in 2013 and is the European node providing data on historical earthquakes within EPOS. It is linked to EMSC in the EPOS Seismology governance. AHEAD is a database of information on earthquakes between 1000 and 1899, the pre-instrumental period of seismology, and is run by INGV in coordination with twelve European organisations. Input data are contributed by eight independent regional macroseismic archives and complemented with scientific literature. Historical data delivered by AHEAD help researchers understand past seismic activities and draw relationships between earthquake data of different provenance.