Integrated Geophysical Support for the UK Earth Science Community

The UK’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) has supported a Geophysical Equipment Facility for over 30 years. The primary role of this facility is to supply equipment (GPS, GPR, seismic and E-M) to the UK academic community for both land and marine experiments. The Facility therefore has the capacity to support integrated onshore-offshore and multi-observation experiments worldwide. Recent multinational experiments have addressed topics as diverse as continental rifting and the development of magmatic continental margins (The EAGLE Project and the Afar Consortium); the effect of tidal forcing on the flow of Antarctic Glaciers; mantle processes, lithospheric structure and the evolution of Hudson Bay; and the earthquake risk in Sumatra. Results from all of these experiments are causing us to change the way in which we look at planet Earth. Partly as a result of the IRIS success story, over the last 10 years significantly more emphasis has been placed on data management, archiving and distribution. In particular, the onshore seismic node of the facility (SEIS-UK) archives all of its data with IRIS DMC so that it subsequently becomes publicly available. The service provided by IRIS ensures that these new high-quality datasets are available worldwide in perpetuity. Data therefore have longevity far beyond the initial project funding period, augmenting and diversifying the initial scientific goals. This potentially adds considerable value to data and justifies continued support for large integrated facilities. It can also promote further international collaboration and scientific development at negligible cost. In the future, if their existence is to be justified, facilities will increasingly need to consider the impact their activities have on the science they support and the society supporting them. Facilities cannot afford to be passive in this endeavour. SEIS-UK is currently involved in the development of new technologies such as telemetry and low-power data logging systems to extend scientific observation to the furthest reaches of the planet. Also, an equipment upgrade process is in place to ensure users always have state of the art equipment to call on. Whilst maintaining links with IRIS, SEIS-UK is also developing links with European networks and groups which will ensure that its equipment and data are even more widely accessible and, more importantly, used.