EARTH SCIENCE EUROPE DEVELOPING EARTH SCIENCE FOR EUROPE

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EARTH SCIENCE EUROPE DEVELOPING EARTH SCIENCE FOR EUROPE
EARTH SCIENCE EUROPE
DEVELOPING
EARTH SCIENCE
FOR EUROPE
EARTH SCIENCE EUROPE DEVELOPING EARTH SCIENCE FOR EUROPE
CONTE NTS
                                                                       3 INTRODUCTION
 EARTH SCIE NCE EUROPE
                                                                         Earth Science Europe advocates set out their vision for this initiative.
 ESE is a grass-roots initiative. Through a process begun
 in October 2012, and subsequent actions, the solid-Earth
 science community has started to self-organize behind some            4 EARTH SCIENCE EUROPE
 key science initiatives, defining the infrastructure needs and          Here we make the case for integrated Earth-science research across Europe, supporting
 overarching vision for solid-Earth science in Europe. ESE aims
 to provide a voice for the community in Europe, to promote              society and industry through better management of natural resources and geohazard risks.
 collaboration across the research spectrum and in the translation
 of geological data and knowledge delivery. The community
 includes representatives of many European organizations               6 THE BIG QUESTIONS
 and associations including EGU, EAGE, EuroGeoSurveys,                   People wonder about the origin of the Earth, the universe and
 EAG, European projects and programmes and research
 infrastructures, cutting-edge scientists in our field including         life itself. Earth science holds the key to discovering our origins.
 ERC award-holders, and industry representatives. ESE has met
 formally twice, and held an online consultation in order to involve
 a greater proportion of the community and its stakeholders. This      8 THE DYNAMIC EARTH
 brochure is the first product of the initiative. April 2014             Changes to the shape of the Earth’s surface affect our society on human timescales.
 This booklet was produced by the British Geological Survey.             Measuring and understanding deformation across Europe demands global Earth science.
 BGS is a national research centre supported by the Natural
 Environment Research Council and is its principal supplier of
 national capability in geoscience for the UK. www.bgs.ac.uk           10 A SAFE PLACE TO LIVE
                                                                         Everybody wants to live a safe and comfortable life. Earth science helps societies
 ESE Chair John Ludden, BGS
 Coordinated by Vicky Hards, BGS                                         to achieve these aims, minimizing the impact of unavoidable natural hazards.
 Edited and written by Sue Bowler (s.bowler@leeds.ac.uk)
 Designed and produced by Paul Johnson
 (www.higgs-boson.com)                                                 12 LIVING ON PLANET EARTH
                                                                         Successful societies need resources: water, energy and raw materials. Earth science is the
 Image credits. p1 ©ESA. p4 BGS ©NERC. p5 Oil rig: ©Harald
 Pettersen/Statoil ASA. Geyser: ©Mark Soskolne/Dreamstime.               foundation of the exploration and responsible use of Europe’s natural resources.
 Turbine: ©London Array Ltd. House: ©Olivier Le Queinec/
 Dreamstime. p6 S Steinvall ©IODP/ECORD. p7 Vent: Ridge2000
 ©MGDS www.marine-geo.org. Trilobite: BGS ©NERC. Earth:                14 DRIVING EUROPEAN GROWTH
 ©ESA. p8 M Jakobsson ©ECORD/IODP. p9 Earths: ©ESA.                      It takes Earth science to find the raw materials, water and energy resources that build
 Norway: ©ESA. Sentinel-1: ©ESA/ATG medialab. p10 ©Piergiorgio
 Scarlato, INGV. p11 Barrier: Marcelmooij/Dreamstime.                    economic prosperity, support Europe’s industries and promote innovative technologies.
 Map: SHARE www.share-eu.org. p12 Hamburg: ©Markus
 Gann/Dreamstime. p13 Ship: ICDP. Stibnite: BGS ©NERC.
 p14 ©Claireshearer/Dreamstime. p15 Quarry: BGS ©NERC.                 16 INSPIRATION AND INFORMATION
 Carbon capture: Statoil ASA. p16 BGS ©NERC. p17 Children:               A unified voice for Earth science in Europe will inspire the next generation of scientists and
 BGS ©NERC. Earthquake: Walter Graneri/Dreamstime. p18
 Reproduced with permission of OneGeology Secretariat, CGMW              clarify communication with national decision makers – and foster a technically skilled workforce.
 & registered participants. All rights reserved. p19 ©Schlumberger.

 Cover The face of Europe shown as a mosaic of true-colour land        18 THE NEXT STEPS
 images taken by the Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer              Earth science in Europe needs strategic decision-making, integrated research infrastructure and a
 (MERIS) instrument on ESA’s Envisat environmental satellite. ©ESA
                                                                         strong voice, to address research and societal challenges and drive prosperity through innovation.

2 EARTH SCIENCE EUROPE
EARTH SCIENCE EUROPE DEVELOPING EARTH SCIENCE FOR EUROPE
INTRODUC TION
               Earth sciences
               support society,
                                                                “  Earth-science
                                                                related research                             “  Future demand for
                                                                                                             energy and natural                            “ Earth science data
                                                                                                                                                           benefit society when
                                                                 services and products                       resources requires                             fully exploited: accessed,
               from discovery                                    underpin much of our                        new ideas about the                            aggregated, used
               science to better                                 livelihood. Integration                     subsurface. Earth                              and reused. We need
               management                                        of the science base                         Science Europe will help                       interdisciplinary services
of our natural resources and                                     from research through                       to provide geoscientists                       for researchers and a
geohazards. Earth Science                                        government to the                           and engineers                                  roadmap to directly
                                               private sector is essential; Earth Science   with innovative data and a diverse            involve scientists and stake-holders in the
Europe is a grass-roots initiative
to unify Earth scientists and work                                           ”
                                               Europe plans to facilitate this              community for discussion. It will also        grand challenges of the environment and
                                               John Ludden: Executive Director,             inspire new generations to investigate        human welfare: Earth Science Europe
                                                                                                                                                                                 ”
together with other stakeholders
for a safe and prosperous Europe.
                                               British Geological Survey; Chair, Earth
                                               Science Europe
                                                                                            the geosciences in years to come
                                                                                            Gladys Gonzalez: President, EAGE    ”         Massimo Cocco: INGV; EPOS
                                                                                                                                          Co-ordinator

                 “  Earth science matters
                 in our everyday lives,                         “   Earth Science Europe
                                                                is the next step towards                     “   The ocean covers
                                                                                                              three quarters of our                        “ As both data
                                                                                                                                                           collection and research
                  from safeguarding us                          integrating European                          planet and plays a major                    tools in the Earth
                  from natural disasters, to                    research to address                           role in natural resources                   sciences become
                  supplying our growing                         fundamental challenges                        and the climate. Recent                     more sophisticated,
                  population with energy                        concerning multi-scale                        breakthroughs at the                        specialized and
                  and water. Pooling ideas                      Earth processes and                           interface between                           expensive, it is essential
                  about the dynamics of                         societal challenges in,                       Earth sciences, biology,                    that we coordinate
planet Earth – its chemistry, physics and
biology, above and below the surface – is
                                               for instance, energy and georesources
                                               Sierd Cloetingh: Chair, TOPO-EUROPE     ”    numerical modeling and climate
                                                                                            research point the way forward. Not only
                                                                                                                                          our resources across Europe in order to
                                                                                                                                          tackle the grand science challenges of
exactly the right tack to take, and Earth      Steering Committee; President,               is the present the key to the past, the       the future
                                                                                                                                                    ”
Science Europe is right on track!
                                  ”
Brian Horsfield: Executive Director, ICDP
                                               International Lithosphere Program;
                                               Member, Scientific Council ERC               Henk Brinkhuis: NIOZ    ”
                                                                                            past is key to our future                     Chris Ballentine: President, European
                                                                                                                                          Association of Geochemistry

                 “ Society faces the
                 grand challenge of                             “ Earth sciences
                                                                address major societal                       “ Europe needs
                                                                                                             geological data,                              “  Our affluent societies
                                                                                                                                                           are at risk of forgetting
                ensuring human                                   demands such as                             information, knowledge                         the fragile balance of
                wellness and                                     hazards mitigation and                      and expertise to                               resource s and dangers
                sustainability. We need                          sustainable resources…                      address urgent societal                        implicit in our natural
                to better understand                             but above all the human                     challenges. Earth                              environment, and the
                the Earth system and                             desire to always explore                    Science Europe can                             planetary forces which
                human impacts on that                            further and understand                      serve to strengthen the                        have brought them
system. Earth Science Europe will help         better our Earth, other planets and our      European research community across            into being. Read on for a clear overview
us to reduce global environmental risks        origin. Earth Science Europe will help us    Earth science disciplines and sectors,        of the fundamental challenges, and the
and sustain planetary resources
                                 ”
Montserrat Torné: Director, Institute of
                                               progress along this path
                                                                        ”
                                               Michel Diament: Acting Director,
                                                                                            from fundamental science to policy
                                                                                            Mart van Bracht: President,          ”        technologies we have to overcome them
                                                                                                                                          Donald Bruce Dingwell: Third             ”
Earth Sciences Jaume Almera; CSIC              CNRS-INSU                                    EuroGeoSurveys                                Secretary General, ERC

                                                                                                                                                         EARTH SCIENCE EUROPE 3
EARTH SCIENCE EUROPE DEVELOPING EARTH SCIENCE FOR EUROPE
E ARTH SCIE NCE EU ROPE

                          Looking ahead Modern
                          Earth-science research
                          relies on innovative
                          instruments for data
                          collection, coupled with
                          the infrastructure to
                          combine and integrate
                          varied types and sources
                          of data.

4 EARTH SCIENCE EUROPE
EARTH SCIENCE EUROPE DEVELOPING EARTH SCIENCE FOR EUROPE
● Societies need to be safe from natural       ● Coordination of observations, data   ● An integrated research infrastructure
                                                            hazards, with reliable supplies of power       storage and analysis will enhance      across Europe will foster authoritative
                                                            and natural resources, in order to             understanding of Europe’s natural      communication of Earth-science
                                                            prosper                                        resources and hazards                  information, to support society

Here we make the case for integrated
Earth-science research across Europe,
supporting society and industry
through better management of natural
resources and geohazard risks.

E
       arth science has the potential to inspire, pro-
       tect and enrich the people of Europe. Earth
       science is the gateway to exploring the ori-
gin of our planet and the complex web of physical,
chemical and biological processes that made and
keep it habitable. Earth science is the key to man-
aging the risks associated with natural hazards,
especially in a changing climate. We need Earth
science to find and safely use natural resources,
to support prosperous societies and develop new
industries to maintain economic growth.
   In order to realize that potential, Earth scientists
need to develop a comprehensive vision of the             ability to engage with challenges facing society,        Above Society and
Earth, inside and out, as it changes through time.        such as geohazards and energy supply in a chang-         business need reliable
                                                                                                                   supplies of energy,
Modern computing methods mean that simulations            ing climate. New ways of working that transcend
                                                                                                                   whether from oil and gas
of the Earth system in space and time are now fea-        borders will produce a capable, flexible workforce       or renewable sources
sible – and will drive innovative research.               able to address big problems and bring solutions to      such as geothermal and
                                                          business, industry and society.                          wind. Europe’s energy
INTEGRATED RESEARCH                                         The coordinated approach set out in this booklet       balance will include
Earth scientists now recognize that the evolu-            will drive scientific solutions to the challenges fac-   all three in the next
tion of our planet, our physical environment and          ing society. Education and outreach are fundamen-        decades.
life itself are intrinsically connected. As a result,     tal: inspirational research brings young people into
                                                                                                                   Right Flooding is just
research needs to be diverse and multidisciplinary;       technical careers; practical information enables         one of the natural
new observational technology, new methodologies           informed decision-making throughout society. The         hazards that Earth
for data collection and storage and collaborations        aim is to build public confidence in the assessment      science can help to
across disciplines and countries, are needed – in         of geohazards and management of their effects,           predict and it supports
short, a new research infrastructure across Europe.       and in renewing supplies of natural resources. The       the development of
A new cooperative research model together with its        means to achieve this aim is the establishment of        strategies to avoid the
                                                                                                                   worst effects.
necessary infrastructure will provide the framework       an authoritative science community that speaks
for global-scale research success and enhance our         with one voice: Earth Science Europe. ●

                                                                                                                                                               EARTH SCIENCE EUROPE 5
EARTH SCIENCE EUROPE DEVELOPING EARTH SCIENCE FOR EUROPE
TH E BIG Q U ESTIONS

Cold snap Earth-science
data must be collected
in extreme environments
such as the Arctic in
order to gain a full
understanding of the
history of our planet.

6 EARTH SCIENCE EUROPE
EARTH SCIENCE EUROPE DEVELOPING EARTH SCIENCE FOR EUROPE
● The origin of our planet and of life itself    ● Earth scientists study the past in order    ● Collaboration and joint research projects
                                                         inspires awe and wonder in us all; Earth         to understand the present and protect         will enable sucessful European Earth-
                                                         science explores these big questions             our future Earth                              science research on the global stage

People wonder about the origin                                         Earth science combines traditional
                                                                       fieldwork with investigative tech-
of the Earth, the universe                                               nologies such as gravity surveys,
and life itself. Earth                                                    deep drilling, geochemical map-
science holds the key to                                                    ping and geodetic surveys. This
                                                                              store of information about the
discovering our origins.                                                        origin, nature and evolution
                                                                                  of Europe is revolutionizing

E
       arth is a special planet.                                                  how we see our planet –
       It is the only planet in                                                   but it is also highlighting
       the solar system with                                                    problems. New instruments
an oxygen atmosphere,                                                          and techniques for observa-
oceans of water and a rich                                                   tions in remote and inaccessi-
biosphere including intelligent                                             ble sites such as the Arctic are
life. We know of no planet like it,                                        improving data coverage across
among the hundreds so far found                                          the continent, but gaps remain: on
around other stars. How did Earth                                     the seafloor, for example. Variable
                                                                                                                  Above Using a
form? When, where and how did life                                   and incompatible data standards also         submersible to explore       E POS: INTEG R ATING
begin? How did life survive and thrive                              limit progress. Procedures can vary           hydrothermal vents           SOLID - EARTH DATA
for thousands of millions of years?                                from nation to nation and between              under the sea: perhaps
                                                                  disciplines such as geochemistry and            the environment where        The European Plate Observing System is a
GLOBAL CYCLES                                                     geophysics.                                     life on Earth began.         framework for solid-Earth sciences research
Earth scientists understand that our hab-                             Removing these barriers will stream-                                     across Europe, an element of the European
                                                                                                                  Left Fossils such as
itable environment today depends on com-                        line European Earth-science research.                                          Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures’
                                                                                                                  trilobites tell Earth
plex interactions between the surface and deep             The process has begun, with projects such as                                        roadmap. EPOS unites existing national solid-
                                                                                                                  scientists about the
Earth, through rock, soil, rivers, oceans and atmo-    OneGeology and the European Geological Data                environment at the           Earth research networks, linking satellite,
sphere. Our magnetic field – a shield against harm-    Infrastructure programme, in which national geo-           surface of the Earth when    seismic, surface dynamics, volcanic and oceanic
ful radiation from space – owes its existence to the   logical surveys are working to harmonize data              they lived, hundreds of      observations with experimental and analytical
flow of molten iron in the Earth’s core. We owe our    management. Closer research links and strat-               millions of years ago.       laboratories, uniting researchers as a virtual
unique atmosphere to gas released from the deep          egic planning will enable inspirational science                                       community. EPOS works by integrating existing
                                                                                                                  Below left From space,
Earth by volcanoes; plate tectonics                                   and discoveries that evoke awe and                                       national infrastructures in ways that enhance
                                                                                                                  Earth is dominated by
has helped to regulate our cli-                                              wonder about the origin of                                        access to the data and promote its use in
                                                                                                                  the greens and blues
mate over millennia. Earth                                                       life itself. Earth scientists    of life, unlike Mars or      innovative ways. While the links being developed
scientists investigate                                                               across Europe, together,     Venus. Understanding         by EPOS will benefit researchers initially,
when these planet-                                                                      can achieve a deeper      how this happened tells      stakeholders in industry, business and society
scale connections                                                                         understanding of the    us about our origins and     will also benefit.
began and how                                                                               processes that cre-   the prospects for life       WWW.EPOS-EU.ORG
                                                                                                                  elsewhere in the universe.
they interact.                                                                                ated our world. ●

                                                                                                                                                                     EARTH SCIENCE EUROPE 7
EARTH SCIENCE EUROPE DEVELOPING EARTH SCIENCE FOR EUROPE
TH E DYNAMIC E ARTH

Solid rock These
distorted and folded
rocks carry a record
of past plate collision;
today’s tectonics alters
geohazard risks.

8 EARTH SCIENCE EUROPE
EARTH SCIENCE EUROPE DEVELOPING EARTH SCIENCE FOR EUROPE
● Earth’s surface is dynamic, constantly       ● Deformation on human timescales alters          ● Monitoring and imaging the Earth will
                                                         changing as a result of both surface and       both the risks and impacts of geohazards          enable modelling of the processes that
                                                         deep Earth processes                           such as flooding and landslides                   shape our planet – now and in the future

Changes to the shape of the Earth’s
                                                                                                                                                OUR SHIF TING SURFACE
surface affect our society on
                                                                                                                                                Since 2005, an international collaboration called
human timescales. Measuring and
                                                                                                                                                TOPO-EUROPE has been working to understand
understanding deformation across                                                                                                                how and why the topography of Europe is
Europe demands global Earth science.                                                                                                            changing – and what it means for European
                                                                                                                                                society. TOPO-EUROPE is a programme
                                                                                                                                                designed to describe the Earth system that

T
       he surface of the Earth is constantly chang-                                                                                             determines the shape of our continent, monitor
       ing its form and nature; on timescales rang-                                                                                             how it changes, predict its future evolution and
       ing from months to millions of years, the                                                                                                evaluate how we can best live within that system.
surface bulges, subsides and shears. We live on                                                                                                   TOPO-EUROPE is using Europe’s mountain
this shifting surface; Earth scientists document                                                                                                belts, sedimentary basins and continental
the processes from the deep Earth that drive the                                                                                                margins as natural laboratories, bringing
constant movement and deformation at the surface.      after ice sheets melt; and water use by cities and       Above Maps of                   together Earth scientists with a broad range of
  The tectonic plates that make up the surface of      industries can bring subsidence over decades. The        gravitational variation,        expertise across geology, geophysics, geodesy
the Earth move a few centimetres each year, ulti-      steady weathering and erosion of highlands and           soil moisture and ocean         and geotechnology. As well as mapping slow
                                                                                                                salinity plus Antarctic
mately as a result of convection in the deep Earth.    the build-up of sediment in lowlands inexorably                                          landscape changes, TOPO-EUROPE is assessing
                                                                                                                ice cover, demonstrating
Continental collisions produced great mountain         changes the topography and subsurface water flow.        the power and global
                                                                                                                                                how they affect the risk of natural hazards.
ranges such as the Alps, contorting the rocks that     These changes, individually almost imperceptible,        reach of European Space         WWW.TOPO-EUROPE.EU
built them. The constantly drifting jigsaw of plates   have consequences that include increased risk of         Agency satellite data.
brings stress and deformation to surface rocks in      catastrophic landslides and flooding.
the form of earthquakes at plate edges. Subtler           Tectonic processes form the template on which         Left Sentinel-1, the first of
stress changes within the plates cause more than       life and society evolve. Climate, soil formation and     Europe’s new generation
                                                                                                                of environmental
60% of earthquake deaths worldwide – and much of       erosion, and changes in biodiversity are fundamen-
                                                                                                                monitoring satellites, was
Europe is at risk. Integrated observations of conti-   tally linked to the changing nature and form of the      launched in April to map
nental deformation using satellite data have proved    surface of the Earth. Integrative data collection        distortions of the Earth’s
powerful for mapping strain: radar interferometry      and research, including environmental data such          surface using radar.
can map distortions of just a few millimetres.         as biogeochemistry, will help to illuminate these
                                                       connections.                                             Right The shape of the
RISING AND SINKING                                        At present, monitoring of these processes is patchy   continental margin off
                                                                                                                Norway (top), the base of
Slower landscape changes driven                        across Europe. Incompatible formats and data gaps
                                                                                                                the Earth’s crust (middle)
by land rising and sinking come                        impede fundamental understanding. An integrated          and the base of the rigid
about for many reasons and over                               approach to European Earth science will bring     lithosphere (lowest),
a range of timescales: mountain                                               better understanding of the       mapped using satellite
building drives both uplift and                                                 changes that affect the         geodesy and geophysics.
subsidence over millions of years;                                                     surface of the Earth,
glaciated regions rise for thousands of years                                            where we all live. ●

                                                                                                                                                                       EARTH SCIENCE EUROPE 9
EARTH SCIENCE EUROPE DEVELOPING EARTH SCIENCE FOR EUROPE
A SAFE
PLACE
TO LIVE

Sleeping giant Millions
of people live and work
at risk from the effects of
volcanic eruptions.

10 E A R T H S C I E N C E E U R O P E
● Earth science is essential for             ● Understanding geohazards helps us             ● Climate change will alter our exposure
                                                           understanding the distribution and           to mitigate their effects and develop           to geohazards; future resilience will be
                                                           frequency of natural hazards                 effective disaster preparedness                 enhanced by Earth-science knowledge

Everybody wants to live a safe and
                                                                                                                                              SHARE: SHARING KNOWLEDGE
comfortable life. Earth science helps                                                                                                         AND COMMUNICATING RISK
societies to achieve these aims,
                                                                                                                                              The SHARE project – Seismic Hazard
minimizing the impact of unavoidable                                                                                                          Harmonization in Europe – began by harmonizing
natural hazards.                                                                                                                              data and methodologies for assessing seismic
                                                                                                                                              hazards across the continent. These assessments

E
       urope’s natural hazards include earthquakes,                                                                                           are combined with modelling of the effects of
       volcanic eruptions, landslides, catastrophic                                                                                           expected earthquakes, using data from past
       floods and storms, as well as global haz-                                                                                              events. This results in maps showing how likely
ards such as tsunamis, asteroid impacts and solar                                                                                             it is that a certain level of ground shaking will
storms. While hazards are inevitable, the worst of                                                                                            be exceeded in the next 50 years, for example.
their consequences are not: loss of life and economic                                                                                         This is essential for understanding the overall
cost can be minimized. Earth scientists use past                                                                                              seismic risk. SHARE focused on the seismic
events combined with monitoring and modelling to                                                                                              hazard in order to support the development
assess potential risks from geohazards. This, com-                                                                                            of both European and national standards for
bined with effective planning and governance, keeps                                                                                           mitigation of their effects. With the harmonized
people and businesses safe and boosts prosperity.                                                                                             assessment of seismic risk provided by SHARE,
  Earthquakes are a particular hazard in south-          monitoring allows hazardous volcanic activity to       Above This barrier in         national and European authorities can set in place
ern and eastern Europe. The SHARE consortium             be anticipated; developing coherent observation        Zeeland, Holland, was         earthquake engineering standards at suitable
                                                                                                                built after the storm and
has taken a lead in collaborating on data stand-         campaigns for volcanic areas and wider regions                                       levels to protect homes and the more stringent
                                                                                                                tidal surge of 1953. Better
ards and communicating the risk across national          at risk, then integrating the data with the work of                                  requirements for critical infrastructure such as
                                                                                                                understanding of the
boundaries and in ways useful to national and            civil protection organizations will improve Europe’s   drivers of such events will   hospitals and power plants. WWW.SHARE-EU.ORG
European authorities (see panel, right). This risk-      resilience in the face of these hazards.               support cost-effective
based approach is necessary because it is not pos-         Such integration will also benefit Europe in the     and proactive flood
sible to forecast exactly when and where a quake         face of global hazards such as tsunamis and solar      defences.
will occur; greater awareness of the science that        storms; infrastructure that enables global research
                                                                                                                Right The SHARE
determines the risk among governments and public         will aid understanding of these hazards.
                                                                                                                map shows regions of
authorities, as well as among the general public, will     Better understanding of natural hazards such as      increased seismic hazard
make societies safer.                                    catastrophic storms and floods will also improve       in red and brown. A pan-
                                                         resilience in the future. These events and their       European approach to
BETTER RESILIENCE                                        effects on human society are shaped by the land-       geohazard risks supports
Volcanic eruptions have been part of the history         scape, which in turn is shaped by the surface          effective planning and
of Europe; they will be part of its future, too. More    dynamics of the Earth and by human activities          regulation in all nations.
than two million people live close enough to Vesu-       such as construction, urbanization and industry.
vius to be at risk in an eruption; plumes of ash can     Earth science can examine and monitor these inter-
disrupt international air travel, as happened from       actions and assess how a changing climate will
Eyjafjallajökull in 2010. Careful observation and        affect the risks they pose to society. ●

                                                                                                                                                                     E A R T H S C I E N C E E U R O P E 11
LIVING ON PLANET EARTH

Water power Water is
a valuable resource, for
society, for industry and,
as here in Hamburg, a
valuable civic amenity. A
secure supply is a priority
for Europe’s increasingly
urban society.

12 E A R T H S C I E N C E E U R O P E
● Safe, clean water supplies rely on            ● Understanding how mineral deposits          ● Future water and energy security
                                                        knowledge and understanding of the              form will help to find new sources of         depends on a solid understanding of
                                                        Earth’s near-surface cycles                     economically important minerals               Earth science across Europe

Successful societies need resources:                  in the atmosphere; understanding them is part of
                                                      managing global change.
water, energy and raw materials.
                                                        Understanding the movements of elements
Earth science is the foundation of the                between the deep Earth and the surface is a major
exploration and responsible use of                    step towards finding new mineral resources. New
                                                      technologies need rare-earth and platinum-group
Europe’s natural resources.
                                                      elements, for example, elements not considered in

E
       urope has abundant natural resources. Yet a    traditional models of ore formation; a new research
       populous continent puts increasing demands     effort to understand how they are concentrated by
       on living space, water and energy supply, as   geological processes will reveal new resources for
well as mineral resources. And new technologies       Europe, benefiting current and future industry.
require secure supplies of new groups of resources;
advances in healthcare demand new                     ENERGY FOR ALL
biomedical resources derived from                        Society and industry need energy; reliable sup-
subsurface microbes, for example.                             plies will demand a mix of sources includ-        Above An ICDP drill ship
Earth science underpins the sup-                                   ing geothermal and other renewables          at work in the Dead Sea.    GOING DEEPER FOR RESEARCH
ply of resources; it determines                                       alongside fossil fuels and nuclear        Both cores of rock and
how best to exploit them                                                    energy in the coming decades.       the records of fluid flow   Borehole drilling is a powerful research tool. The
responsibly and to manage                                                     Europe needs Earth science        and composition are         European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling
waste responsibly. It also                                                       to find, develop and exploit   valuable for exploring      (ECORD) coordinates seafloor drilling across Europe
                                                                                                                the subsurface and the
helps to control the effects                                                        new sources of energy                                   with the global International Ocean Discovery
                                                                                                                minerals and even life-
of society as a geological                                                            and the energy tech-      forms it holds.
                                                                                                                                            Program (IODP). Drilling on land is organized via the
force; human activities such                                                           nologies that will                                   International Continental Drilling Program (ICDP).
as farming, mining and                                                                  power the future.       Left Stibnite, the main     The data from these programmes help scientists
urbanization increasingly                                                               Sa fe ha nd l i ng of   ore mineral of antimony,    to understand the evolution of Europe in a global
change our planet.                                                                     waste, to minimize       is among the minerals       context. Scientific links and technological synergies
  Understanding the sur-                                                          environmental impact, is      that are driving new        between ocean and continental drilling have built
                                                                                                                technological industries.
face and subsurface is                                                        part of the global energy chal-                               a strong research community; further integration
                                                                                                                Discoveries of new
the key to discovering                                                   lenge; radioactive waste especially    mineral resources within
                                                                                                                                            across Europe will boost research capabilities.
and managing resources                                                needs safe storage over geological        Europe will support            Commercial drilling is important in the hydro-
such as water. Research                                        timescales. Sequestration of carbon diox-        industrial success in the   carbons industry; research drilling complements
drilling allows investigation                            ide may prove to be part of the balance between        future.                     their work, but also provides more complete data
of this near-surface region, including                fossil fuel use and climate protection.                                               coverage. In addition, it provides the information
unusual and potentially valuable microbes. Sedi-        All these issues gain importance in the face of                                     needed for governments and the public to ensure
ment records from boreholes are a treasure trove      growing human activities and population. A society                                    fair, responsible and safe exploitation of the raw
of information about past climates. Chemical          that is secure in its energy supply, with ample water                                 materials Europe needs.
exchanges between atmosphere, seas, rivers and        resources and access to natural resources to drive                                    WWW.ECORD.ORG | WWW.IODP.ORG | WWW.ICDP.ORG

rocks drive or limit greenhouse gas accumulation      new industry, relies on Earth science. ●

                                                                                                                                                                    E A R T H S C I E N C E E U R O P E 13
DRIVING EU ROPE AN G ROW TH

                                         The Glasgow Science
                                         Centre is on a site that
                                         was once a cargo port
                                         and offers a model for
                                         urban redevelopment
                                         elsewhere. Research
                                         into the local subsurface
                                         suggests that there is
                                         enough ground-source
                                         heat to provide Glasgow
                                         with low-carbon energy
                                         for at least 100 years.

14 E A R T H S C I E N C E E U R O P E
● Earth science is needed to discover the     ● A secure and diverse energy supply          ● Active research produces innovative
                                                          raw materials to drive economic growth,       demands Earth-science expertise to            instruments and methods that drive new
                                                          and to manage their safe exploitation         develop sustainable new resources             technological industries

It takes Earth science to find the raw
                                                                                                                                            GOING WITH THE
materials, water and energy resources                                                                                                       SUBSURFACE FLOW
that build economic prosperity,
                                                                                                                                            Much of the energy sector depends on
support Europe’s industries and                                                                                                             monitoring and understanding processes in the
promote innovative technologies.                                                                                                            subsurface: extraction of coal, oil, gas and shale
                                                                                                                                            gas, carbon capture and storage, nuclear waste
                                                                                                                                            storage and geothermal energy. Low-carbon

E
       urope is a diverse continent, geologically,                                                                                          options for energy supply, carbon capture and
       industrially and socially. In order to harness                                                                                       storage schemes in particular, rely on long-term
       Earth science for growth, we need coordi-                                                                                            management of subsurface processes to keep
nated international research to underpin the dis-                                                                                           greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere.
covery and development of natural resources and                                                                                               All these energy supply options depend on
promote sustainable industries, cities and societies.                                                                                       new research infrastructure allowing sustained
   Economic prosperity depends fundamentally on            While Europe has established sources of oil          Above Whether it is         monitoring on human timescales. This will act as
natural resources. Accessible integrated Earth-         and gas, for example, our future use of them in a       building stone, stone for   a bridge between research and application in the
                                                                                                                decoration, aggregate
science data across Europe will allow efficient use     crowded continent demands public support. Inte-                                     energy sector and build connections between
                                                                                                                for construction, or
of known resources and pinpoint new sources. Con-       grated European resource-mapping will support                                       research and industry. It will include EPOS and
                                                                                                                minerals and ores for
struction, whether of housing, transport or indus-      political decision-making. Earth-science research       new technologies,           the European Carbon Dioxide Capture and
trial infrastructure, relies on Earth science for the   can also support safe treatment of waste and effec-     quarrying provides the      Storage Laboratory Infrastructure (ECCSEL),
necessary minerals, aggregates and hydrocarbons.        tive restoration of the landscape, promoting sustain-   raw materials that drive    for example, together with in situ monitoring
And it is Earth science that provides the tools for     able mining and quarrying.                              growth.                     including deep boreholes, combined with satellite
ensuring safe and responsible extraction, through          Fossil fuels will continue to be part of Europe’s                                measurements. WWW.ECCSEL.ORG
                                                                                                                Right Carbon
site-specific or remote monitoring and regulation.      energy mix in the coming decades. Schemes
                                                                                                                capture and storage
Many of the tools now used for assessment of the        to isolate the resulting greenhouse gas carbon          underground. About a
environmental impact of a quarry or mine are also       dioxide from the atmosphere use Earth-science           million tonnes of CO2 is
used for site investigation ahead of construction       techniques. Earth science also underpins other          pumped into rock every
projects. Increasingly, geophysical and remote-         elements of a mixed-energy economy: radioactive         year at the Sleipner East
sensing methods are reducing the cost and increas-      waste storage and raw materials essential for cur-      field beneath the North
ing the effectiveness of subsurface investigation.      rent and future renewable energy technologies,          Sea, using CO2 capture
                                                                                                                technology developed
                                                        including thermal reservoirs.
                                                                                                                as part of the gas field
SAFE INFRASTRUCTURE                                        Development of a common research infrastruc-         development.
The risk from geohazards is an important element        ture will bring innovations that will readily trans-
of decision-making about the location and design        fer to industry. Earth scientists are already using
of vital infrastructure: transport, power generation,   facilities such as the European Synchrotron particle
information transfer. Both the insurance industry       accelerator to solve Earth-science problems; these
and those seeking protection for their assets would     technologies and the skilled people who use them
benefit from an integrated Earth-science approach.      will boost business in Europe. ●

                                                                                                                                                                   E A R T H S C I E N C E E U R O P E 15
INSPIRATION AND INFORMATION

Look closely Earth
scientists gain technical
skills, innovation, and
a problem-solving
approach – attributes
that benefit industry and
business, too.

16 E A R T H S C I E N C E E U R O P E
● Better international and multidisciplinary   ● Inspirational Earth-science research will   ● Targeted Earth-science information for
                                                         links within Earth science will build a        raise the profile of Earth science and        the public and professions will inform
                                                         skilled and flexible workforce                 draw young people into science                decision-making in society as a whole

A unified voice for Earth science in
                                                                                                                                            COMMUNICATING RISK
Europe will inspire the next generation
of scientists and clarify communication                                                                                                     Education and public outreach is a growing field
                                                                                                                                            for many researchers. But in Earth sciences (and
with European-level decision makers                                                                                                         environmental sciences in general) it is important
– and foster a technically skilled                                                                                                          to distinguish between communicating science
workforce.                                                                                                                                  and communicating risk. Communicating the
                                                                                                                                            risk to society from geohazards requires a

E
       urope has a strong research culture. Suc-                                                                                            clear understanding of the resilience of local
       cessful research inspires people of all ages,                                                                                        communities as well as an appreciation of
       encouraging the next generation of scientists                                                                                        how individuals assimilate and apply scientific
and helping a scientifically literate public to use                                                                                         information about risk and personal exposure.
Earth science to better their lives. European Earth                                                                                            Risk communication does not involve the
scientists – working together, making Earth science                                                                                         scientific community alone – different roles are
accessible, speaking with one voice – will provide                                                                                          needed in order to develop effective strategies in
accessible, relevant information to promote our sub-                                                                                        the light of these complex ethical issues. Cross-
ject and support business, industry and education.     encourages people to choose Earth science as a           Above Getting their         disciplinary collaboration is required to tackle
  Integrated European programmes will help estab-      hobby, boosting scientific literacy in society.          hands on the past – here    the challenge of helping local communities and
                                                                                                                a dinosaur bone – can
lish research centres in nations without a tradi-         All nations in Europe face difficult decisions in                                 individuals in making their own behavioural
                                                                                                                inspire children to think
tion of Earth-science excellence, bringing greater     order to maintain the safety and prosperity of their                                 choices as well as supporting policymakers to
                                                                                                                about the future. These
mobility for research staff. A lively and successful   citizens; resources, geohazards and energy sup-          could be the Earth          manage prevention and emergency planning.
research culture brings innovative ideas that spread   ply are all under pressure. A higher level of Earth-     scientists of the 2020s.
into new technological industries. And a strong        science knowledge among authorities, educators,
research community brings technically skilled          business and public officials will lead to more effec-   Right Earthquakes
people to work in careers that support society, in     tive governance. Understanding history, including        destroy lives and
                                                                                                                livelihoods. Individuals
industry, public safety and education.                 the history of our planet, will inform decisions
                                                                                                                and policymakers need
                                                       regarding our future. Better training for profession-    information that they
THE FUTURE GENERATION                                  als will support individuals in their careers while      can use in order to make
Our planet and its history inspires and intrigues      boosting the role of Earth science in public life.       effective choices about
people, especially the young – the next generation        Earth scientists, working together in research        the risk from natural
that is essential for a thriving research community    across Europe, have the authority that a safe and        hazards.
in the future. Finding fossils and minerals shows      prosperous Europe needs. We can inspire and edu-
children that they can make discoveries. But it        cate the Europeans of the future. Speaking with
is important to demonstrate that Earth science         one voice, we can provide an accessible, integrated
involves much more than collecting rocks. Acces-       source of Earth-science information across Europe
sible Earth-science information, reflecting a thriv-   that will benefit science and society alike through
ing European research community, can inspire           more effective transmission of necessary Earth-
young people to choose scientific careers; it also     science information to those who need to know. ●

                                                                                                                                                                   E A R T H S C I E N C E E U R O P E 17
TH E N E X T STE PS

Ultimate Earth The
OneGeology dynamic
digital map project is
an example of good
practice in global spatial
data infrastructure,
recognized by GEO,
UNESCO, IUGS and ICSU.

18 E A R T H S C I E N C E E U R O P E
Earth science in Europe needs strategic decision-making, integrated research infrastructure and a
                                                        strong voice, to address research and societal challenges and drive prosperity through innovation.

E
       arth scientists need a unified, authoritative
       voice to enhance the status and impact of
       Earth science across Europe. The first step
is to establish Earth Science Europe as a coher-
ent coordinating framework for the Earth-science
community. Then comes a robust research infra-
structure to deliver strategic goals, enabling inspi-
rational research and promoting solutions to societal
challenges.

INTEGRATING RESEARCH
Earth Science Europe will develop strategic
research capacity through a roadmap addressing
fundamental and societal challenges. This will
build on science challenges of national research
programmes and to deliver the Horizon 2020 pro-
gramme.

BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE                                 ● Develop and share inspirational outreach for         Big data Advances in
This collaborative approach demands the renewal           young people, our future scientists.                 seismic imaging and 3D      EUROPE 2020, HORIZON 2020
and growth of research infrastructure, shaped           ● Promote and monitor gender balance in                subsurface modelling
                                                                                                                                                         The European Union’s strategy
                                                                                                               technology provide new
around national, pan-European and cross-discipli-         research teams and decision-making.                                                            Europe 2020 identifies smart,
                                                                                                               insights into subsurface
nary collaborations.                                                                                           energy resources. Similar
                                                                                                                                                         sustainable and inclusive growth as
● Establish common standards for data and               DRIVING INNOVATION                                     techniques make it          a key goal over the next decade. Horizon 2020
  sample storage and exchange.                          Modern sensors allied to advanced research meth-       easier to examine large     explicitly aims to secure these goals and Europe’s
● Develop new shared ways of working that               ods will give a new and detailed picture of Europe’s   datasets from diverse       global competitiveness through funding research
  provide new discoveries and boost innovation.         geology and, aligned with other environmental sur-     sources and to share        in key areas. The Horizon 2020 objectives are
● Make international shared facilities the norm,        veys, will transform geological and environmen-        knowledge and expertise     a good fit for Earth-science priorities, including
                                                                                                               from varied fields –
  for efficiency and to promote exchange of ideas.      tal understanding – providing the capability to                                    data infrastructure, energy and climate, as well as
                                                                                                               boosting innovation
                                                        visualize and model aspects of our Earth in many       across Europe.
                                                                                                                                           an emphasis on strengthening the links between
SHARING INFORMATION                                     dimensions.                                                                        science and society. In turn, Horizon 2020 will
Earth Science Europe will bring a stronger, more           This new integrated geological understanding of                                 support the development of a more equal,
connected community that looks outwards, engag-         Europe will enable better global understanding of                                  gender-balanced scientific community. Horizon
ing with stakeholders across society and speaking       geohazards, georesources and environmental secu-                                   2020 offers an opportunity to establish Earth
together, with authority.                               rity. These are the essential steps needed for Earth                               science as the bedrock of European prosperity in
● Work more closely with stakeholders.                  science to support the secure, prosperous European                                 the decades to come.
● Boost public understanding of Earth science,          society of the future.                                                             EC.EUROPA.EU/PROGRAMMES/HORIZON2020

  especially resource management and geohazards.        WWW.EARTHSCIENCEEUROPE.ORG

                                                                                                                                                                   E A R T H S C I E N C E E U R O P E 19
“ PEOPLE LIKE TO DREAM about the origin of the Earth, the universe and life itself
PEOPLE NEED TO BE SAFE from natural hazards, especially catastrophic events

PEOPLE WANT TO BE COMFORTABLE , to have a secure supply of energy, water and raw materials

EARTH -SCIENCE RESEARCH helps underpin all of this
                                                           ”
THE EARTH SCIENCE EUROPE COMMUNITY MISSION:
“ To make new discoveries and inspiration to better understand the history
and internal dynamics of our planet, and to provide society with data,
manage knowledge better and live more wisely on our planet
                                                            ”
WWW.EARTHSCIENCEEUROPE .ORG
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