The main task of EPOS ERIC is to establish and manage the distributed infrastructure of the European Plate Observing System.
The European Plate Observing System (EPOS, https://www.epos-eu.org/) is a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) created to integrate, at European level, national research infrastructures for Solid Earth Sciences and build new opportunities to monitor and understand the dynamics and complexity of the Earth system. Italy participates in the European EPOS ERIC Consortium, and the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) is its Representing Entity. The EPOS infrastructure involves dozens of partners from about 25 countries, creating an international network of scientific collaboration.
The OGS has played an active role in the realization of EPOS, participating as a Contributing Institute in the H2020 EPOS Implementation Phase project (EPOS IP, https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/676564/reporting). Furthermore, it has contributed to the long-term sustainability of EPOS through science diplomacy initiatives, promoted as a partner in the H2020 EPOS Sustainability Phase project (EPOS SP, https://www.ogs.it/en/projects/epos-sp). This activity has found further support in OGS initiatives (RISE https://www.ogs.it/it/progetti/cei-rise and INTERFACE https://www.ogs.it/it/notizie/ricerca-senza-frontiere-prevenire-e-mitigare-i-disastri-naturali-0) implemented with the support of the Central European Initiative (CEI).
The Institute permanently supports EPOS activities through participation in EPOS Italia (EPOS-IT, https://www.epos-italia.it), the Italian Joint Research Unit recognized by the Ministry of University and Research as a useful tool for the creation of a sustainable organization of the Italian infrastructure network.
EPOS-IT was established with an Agreement signed (and renewed every 4 years) by the 10 partners in June 2016 and includes:
- National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV)
- National Research Council (CNR)
- Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA)
- National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics – OGS
- University of Trieste
- University of Genoa
- University of Naples Federico II
- University of Roma TRE
- CINECA
- EUCENTRE, European Centre for Training and Research in Earthquake Engineering
The JRU is governed by two main bodies:
- the Coordination, directed by a coordinator and supported by scientific managers
- the General Assembly, decision-making body responsible for managing the activities of the JRU, composed of a representative for each partner institution.
All activities carried out within EPOS-Italia are regulated by specific annual agreements ((https://www.ogs.it/it/progetti/epos-italia-0) signed with INGV, the Coordinating Body of the JRU. The activity proposals and the related budgets are evaluated and approved by the General Assembly.
Within EPOS Italia, OGS contributes by providing data, products and services (e.g. seismological and geodetic) to EPOS, derived from its monitoring networks and laboratories. Furthermore, OGS coordinates activities in collaboration with INGV, the University of Trieste and the University of Genoa. Among the main activities in which OGS stands out, we highlight:
- coordinator for the activities of EPOS Italia dedicated to the enlargement and strengthening (Community Building) of the scientific community involved in the contexts of seismic hazard and induced seismicity (https://community-epos-italia.crs.inogs.it/home).
- coordinator of the GLASS node: Central and East European EPOS-GNSS Node CEGNxEPOS (https://gnss-metadata.eu/MOID/datadistributor.64dca7bf92026d043605e332 http://gnssdata-epos.ogs.it/#/site) for European data distribution included in the Thematic Core Services (TCS) GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) Data and Products of EPOS;
- coordinator of the NFO North Eastern Italy Trust Faults Observatory (NITRO, https://www.epos-italia.it/it/istituto-nazionale-di-oceanografia-e-di-geofisica-sperimentale-ogs) for the North Eastern Italy area. NITRO is in the process of being submitted to the Board of the TCS of the NFOs (Near-Fault Observatories);
- partner in the Structuring of the EPOS Italia Laboratories communities, coordinated by the University of Roma Tre. OGS is involved in this area with the Core Logging Lab (https://www.ogs.it/en/multi-sensor-core-logger-lab) in collaboration with the University of Trieste.
These initiatives strengthen the role of OGS as a reference point for international research and scientific collaboration in the context of EPOS.