Periodic Reporting for period 2 - Geo-INQUIRE (Geosphere INfrastructures for QUestions into Integrated REsearch)
Reporting period: 2023-10-01 to 2025-03-31
The Geo-INQUIRE (Geosphere INfrastructures for QUestions into Research) project is a flagship European initiative dedicated to advancing access to high-quality data, products, and services that support the monitoring and modelling of dynamic processes within the geosphere. By overcoming traditional disciplinary boundaries and connecting the land, sea, and atmosphere, the project exploits the latest developments in data management, simulation, artificial intelligence, and Big Data. Its resources are made widely available through existing research infrastructures and the European Open Science Cloud, reinforcing Europe’s leadership in open and cross-disciplinary science.
The project brings together a partnership of 51 organisations, including national research institutes, universities, geological surveys, and European research infrastructure consortia. Through this collaboration, a portfolio of more than 150 Virtual and Transnational Access facilities has been mobilised for the scientific community. Many of these services are already mature, but Geo-INQUIRE is ensuring that they are further enhanced in quality, spatial and temporal resolution, and availability, while at the same time aligning with FAIR principles, open licensing, and standards for interoperability across disciplines.
Geo-INQUIRE pursues six key scientific priorities: improving access to interoperable datasets at higher resolution, enabling new and innovative observations, opening research opportunities at the interface between the solid Earth and its fluid envelope, moving from single-hazard to multi-risk studies of extreme geohazards, transforming georesource management through innovative services, and developing advanced data management, simulation, and visualisation techniques connected to high-performance computing. These objectives are complemented by three cross-cutting strategic goals: integration of services into existing European Research Infrastructures such as EPOS and EMSO, strengthening the FAIRness and openness of data and products, and training the next generation of geoscientists within an inclusive and diverse research environment.
In addition, three cross-cutting strategic priorities are defined: 1) solid integration of services into research infrastructures; 2) improving the FAIRness and openness of data and products; 3) training the next generation of geoscientists and technicians.
Geo-INQUIRE's pathways to impact include improving the interoperability of services by promoting transdisciplinary thinking. The project will also ensure that, by bringing together a team of leading researchers and organisations from different areas of the geosciences, both the fundamental scientific challenges and the needs for the underlying technical development are addressed. In addition, activities related to the FAIR Principles and their assessment will make scientific data and products ready for the EOSC and more accessible, inclusive and equitable for the benefit of all.
The project brings together a partnership of 51 organisations, including national research institutes, universities, geological surveys, and European research infrastructure consortia. Through this collaboration, a portfolio of more than 150 Virtual and Transnational Access facilities has been mobilised for the scientific community. Many of these services are already mature, but Geo-INQUIRE is ensuring that they are further enhanced in quality, spatial and temporal resolution, and availability, while at the same time aligning with FAIR principles, open licensing, and standards for interoperability across disciplines.
Geo-INQUIRE pursues six key scientific priorities: improving access to interoperable datasets at higher resolution, enabling new and innovative observations, opening research opportunities at the interface between the solid Earth and its fluid envelope, moving from single-hazard to multi-risk studies of extreme geohazards, transforming georesource management through innovative services, and developing advanced data management, simulation, and visualisation techniques connected to high-performance computing. These objectives are complemented by three cross-cutting strategic goals: integration of services into existing European Research Infrastructures such as EPOS and EMSO, strengthening the FAIRness and openness of data and products, and training the next generation of geoscientists within an inclusive and diverse research environment.
In addition, three cross-cutting strategic priorities are defined: 1) solid integration of services into research infrastructures; 2) improving the FAIRness and openness of data and products; 3) training the next generation of geoscientists and technicians.
Geo-INQUIRE's pathways to impact include improving the interoperability of services by promoting transdisciplinary thinking. The project will also ensure that, by bringing together a team of leading researchers and organisations from different areas of the geosciences, both the fundamental scientific challenges and the needs for the underlying technical development are addressed. In addition, activities related to the FAIR Principles and their assessment will make scientific data and products ready for the EOSC and more accessible, inclusive and equitable for the benefit of all.
The project has already delivered significant results. Access to seismic, GNSS, and sea-level monitoring data has been greatly expanded, with the BGS joining the EIDA-ORFEUS federated archive adding ~500 new seismic stations mainly in UK through 4 additional web services, nearly 300 new GNSS stations integrated into EPOS and a new harmonised United Earthquake Catalogue released—the first of its kind in a decade. Fiber-optic and infrasound datasets have been integrated according to guidelines and policies developed within the project, extending monitoring capabilities, while multi-risk services such as the European Tsunami Risk Service and cascading hazard databases provide new tools for hazard assessment.
Advances in georesource management have been supported through open access to experimental data and integration of anthropogenic hazard monitoring services. At the same time, the Simulation Data Lake (SDL) service hosted at CINECA now provides a platform for persistent archival of simulations and AI-driven research. Capacity building is another major success: over 2,000 researchers worldwide have participated in training activities, workshops, and summer schools, with particular attention given to diversity and inclusion.
Advances in georesource management have been supported through open access to experimental data and integration of anthropogenic hazard monitoring services. At the same time, the Simulation Data Lake (SDL) service hosted at CINECA now provides a platform for persistent archival of simulations and AI-driven research. Capacity building is another major success: over 2,000 researchers worldwide have participated in training activities, workshops, and summer schools, with particular attention given to diversity and inclusion.
Strategically, Geo-INQUIRE is embedding its services into long-term structures to guarantee sustainability. Many services are now integrated into ERICs such as EPOS and EMSO, while the development and consolidation of new thematic services, including the UNESCO/IOC/Sea Level Station Monitoring Facility (SLMF) and Built Environment Data, further broadens the project’s foundational contribution to European research infrastructures. The systematic implementation of FAIR principles, combined with a strong training and inclusion programme, ensures that the benefits of Geo-INQUIRE extend to the entire scientific community.