Projects in progress

Marmor: offshore equipment

Starting on June 01, 2021, the “Marine Advanced geophysical Research equipment and Mayotte multidisciplinary Observatory for research and Response” (Marmor) EquipEx PIA3+ project is led by Ifremer. The eight-year project has a dual objective: to structure the French scientific community by supplying mobile underwater seismic and geodesic instruments, and to set up an underwater cable infrastructure for continuous, real-time monitoring of the seismic-volcanic crisis underway in Mayotte.

The equipment consists of five components and an information system:

• Element 1: Initiate and develop underwater geodesy. The aim is to create an underwater geodesy community by sharing facilities and instruments. The aim is to encourage the emergence and management of projects, and to organize the community’s rapid response to telluric events.
• Element 2: Rapid response and crisis monitoring. This involves equipment to ensure rapid response and enhanced monitoring during seismic and volcanic events. The equipment chosen for the Marmor project includes seismometers, hydrophones and pressure sensors. This equipment is managed by Epos-France.
• Element 3: Mobile marine seismological park for solid earth, imaging and marine environment research. This element is operational via the SMM Specific Action.
• Element 4: Research and development on fiber optic applications, with the aim of developing fiber optic applications for seismology and marine seismology.

Equipment acquired under elements 1 to 4 will be made available to the community via Epos-France. Epos-France is also involved in drawing up the data management plan, and in validating, enhancing and disseminating data from the A Marin node as part of its information system. However, it is not involved in element 5, which aims to set up a cabled monitoring observatory (continuous, real-time, 24/7) in Mayotte. This element is coordinated by Revosima.

Alceste

The main aim of the Alceste project is to produce new databases and a new hazard calculation for mainland France by 2026, within the academic framework of Résif and then Epos-France.

The characterization of seismic hazard in mainland France faces challenges specific to “intraplate” domains of low deformation and seismicity, and for which a major evolution in knowledge has been observed over the last ten years. These issues are reflected at every stage in the construction of the basic elements of probabilistic seismic hazard calculation, such as seismicity catalogs (instrumental and historical), seismotectonic zoning models, and ground motion prediction models. The data and challenges associated with these different elements in mainland France are illustrated by recent work in conjunction with ATS Résif (see references).

Faced with these technical and theoretical challenges, and in response to a request from the French Ministry of Ecological Transition (Direction générale de la prévention des risques) to study possible improvements to probabilistic seismic hazard models in mainland France, the Transverse thematic action Seismicity has proposed setting up the Alceste project.

The main aim of this project is to produce new databases and a new hazard calculation for mainland France by 2026, within the academic framework of Résif and then Epos-France. The new data and knowledge produced could serve as a national reference for future updates of national and European seismic hazard and zoning models (such as the European Facilities for Earthquake Hazard and Risk). More generally, the results of the Alceste project will also be used to build up a body of knowledge on seismic hazard for use by any person, organization or company interested in the subject.

Geo-Inquire

Geo-inquire stands for “Geosphere INfrastructures for QUestions into Integrated Research”.

Starting in October 2022 for 4 years, Geo-Inquire will integrate and improve access to a large quantity of key data, products and services enabling the understanding and modeling of dynamic processes within the geosphere at new levels of spatial and temporal detail and accuracy. Geo-Inquire aims to overcome cross-domain barriers, in particular land-sea-atmosphere environments, and will exploit innovative data management techniques, modeling and simulation methods, artificial intelligence and “big data” developments, and extend existing data infrastructures to disseminate these resources to the wider scientific community. Geo-Inquire benefits from a unique partnership of 52 partners made up of major national research institutes, universities, national geological surveys and European consortia. It will support the integration of all new data and services into the research infrastructures involved, and conduct dedicated training programs for their optimal use.

DT-Geo

The “Digital Twin for Geophysical Extremes” (DT-GEO) project is a European initiative aimed at analyzing and predicting the impact of tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes and anthropogenic seismicity.

To achieve its objectives, DT-GEO will build the components of a digital twin (a virtual replica of physical systems that combines real-time data streams and high-precision models).

Digital twins are built on interactive digital platforms that enable the recreation of present and future scenarios of risky geophysical events. DT-Geo takes advantage of the significant development of supercomputing and technical capabilities to perform advanced modeling and analysis in real time for diagnostic and forecasting purposes.

The project involves the cooperation of 26 research institutions in Europe.