About

What is EPOS? And what about EPOS-Finland?
EPOS

The European Plate Observing System, EPOS, is a long-term plan to facilitate integrated use of data, data products and facilities provided by the European solid Earth science community. The goal of EPOS is to establish a comprehensive, multidisciplinary research platform by combining National Research Infrastructures (NRIs) into one platform. Providing easy access to solid Earth science data and services enables innovative multidisciplinary research, and facilitates better understanding of the physical processes of the solid Earth that control risk factors like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

The EPOS framework consists of four (4) components: 

National Research Infrastructures (NRIs)

  •  National data providers that guarantee access to quality-checked data and products 
  • Nationally owned and managed data 

Thematic Core Services (TCS)

  • Scientific, field-specific integration of data and data products
  • Currently there are ten (10) TCSs: 
    • Seismology
    • Volcano Observations
    • Anthropogenic Hazards
    • Near-Fault Observatories
    • GNSS Data and Products
    • Geomagnetic Observations
    • Satellite Data
    • Geological Information and Modeling
    • Multi-Scale Laboratories
    • Tsunami
  • TCSs are designed to be compliant with FAIR principles 

Integrated Core Services (ICSs) 

  • Technical e-infrastructure solution allowing access and ensuring interoperability between multidisciplinary Data, Data products, Software, and Services (DDSS) provided by the NRIs
  • Consists of the central hub (ICS-C) and distributed services (ICS-D)

EPOS ERIC

  • The European Consortium that coordinates EPOS Research Infrastructure and its delivery framework 
  • The legal framework that operates EPOS and provides an effective governance to the TCS and the ICS
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.
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.

National research infrastructures and data centers deliver data to EPOS TCS (thematic core services). EPOS is coordinated by EPOS ERIC, where ICS (integrated core services) provide access to data, data products and services through the EPOS data portal. The interoperability of data is ensured with ICT-services between the TCS and ICS.
EPOS-Finland

EPOS-Finland (EPOS-FI, previously the FIN-EPOS consortium) is the Finnish national node of EPOS. The joint community of Finnish universities and research institutes involved in EPOS-FI own and operate solid Earth science observatories, laboratories, and data centres in Finland. For now, Finnish Earth science data are delivered to six EPOS Thematic Core Services – TCSs: Anthropogenic Hazards, Geological Information and Modeling, Geomagnetic Observations, GNSS Data and Products, Multi-scale Laboratories, and Seismology.

EPOS-FI is an umbrella organization for the Finnish NRIs that serves as the national node of EPOS. The NRIs are hosted by universities and research institutes which have a governmental service provision role in field-specific, geoscientific data. The Finnish participation in EPOS is promoted and developed by the EPOS-FI council, consisting of representatives from the involved organizations. The council is responsible for setting the long-term NRI plan, coordinating the data quality and visibility of the infrastructures associated with EPOS-FI, as well as increasing their transnational access for scientific and societal purposes. Furthermore, overseeing the Finnish participation in European and Nordic level initiatives related to EPOS and increasing of the user base of EPOS data. 

The coordination office of EPOS-FI is at the Institute of Seismology, University of Helsinki. Finland is on its national governmental process path to join EPOS ERIC as a member state in 2025. 

 

EPOS-FI partners

  • Aalto University
  • CSC – IT Center for Science Ltd
  • Finnish Meteorological Institute
  • Geological Survey of Finland
  • National Land Survey of Finland 
  • University of Helsinki
  • University of Oulu
  • VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd

Read more about the EPOS-FI partners here.