Epos

In November 2023, Nature Scientific Data published a scientific article presenting the data integration and computer science work that I carried out over the last 10 years together with a team of truly excellent colleagues. The article presents an initiative that is changing the way we approach Earth-science research in Europe: the EPOS Data Portal. In this post, I will explain in accessible terms what makes this multidisciplinary platform so special. The European Plate Observing System (EPOS) is not just an international initiative; it is a vision that is redefining Earth science in Europe. This pioneering research infrastructure has built a unique collaborative environment where the sharing and use of scientific data are encouraged, supported, and carefully managed. Open Data, in its purest spirit, allows everyone, scientists, policy makers, experts, and citizens, to access information freely. By adhering to the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable), EPOS is becoming a European reference point and a symbol of open and interoperable access to data. This approach not only opens new doors to knowledge, but is also a fundamental step toward more inclusive, collaborative, and innovative scientific research. ...

I have been often asked by people outside of my domain what is my job. As many jobs in the IT domain, it is a little bit difficult to explain what we do: it is quite technical and abstract. It has to do with structures that do not exist in reality. It has to do with planning, with considering sustainability of the envisaged activities. We work with bits, code, data structures, metadata, with management of huge IT objects and initiatives. ...

Facing reality There is a truth that we are all reluctant to admit: many EU funded initiatives in the research domain aim at producing software-related deliverables, but when coming to the real day-to-day work, releasing even small piece of working software is very challenging. Project partners have different approaches, different technical practices, different off-the-shelf software products that need to be harmonized or sometimes divergent ideas and different cultural backgrounds. That’s the beauty and the challenge of EU initiatives. COVID-19 made things even worse by hindering the possibility of having face to face meetings, where - everybody knows but just a few people say it – agreements and decisions are taken in “social” contexts (yes, I mean coffee breaks and working dinners). ...

There are moments when, sometimes almost unexpectedly, you find yourself taking stock of all the work done in previous years. That kind of meticulous work, made of small daily refinements and microscopic steps forward that you may not even notice. In fact, sometimes it feels as if you are standing still. Then opportunities arrive when… BOOM… everything is illuminated by a new light and the puzzle comes together. What emerges is a beautiful mosaic, with thousands of tiny tiles placed with patience and consistency. ...

Interview with Daniele Bailo, Zhiming Zhao, and Ari Asmi, who explain the key components forming the ENVRI-hub: the ENVRI Catalogue of Services, the ENVRI Knowledge Base, and the ENVRI Use Cases. Daniele, can you explain in more detail why these three components are crucial to the ENVRI-hub? Daniele: These are three distinct but complementary elements used as containers to support the provision of heterogeneous datasets, services, and software within ENVRI. ...

Are you about to graduate, or close to starting an internship, and would you like to gain experience in a dynamic international environment? Take a look at the internship and thesis proposal from the European Plate Observing System (EPOS). EPOS - European Plate Observing system Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia EPOS (www.epos-eu.org) is an innovative European research infrastructure whose purpose is to integrate data and services in the domain of solid Earth sciences. These include data and services related to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, geodetic deformation, satellite observations, and more. They are highly heterogeneous in terms of data-provision technologies, formats, and ways of presenting resources. Integration is performed through an advanced system, the Integrated Core Services (ICS), which allows users to search, download, and analyze data from specific communities through a single web platform and interface. This collaboration proposal is addressed to interns and thesis students interested in using innovative technologies. It aims to contribute to the further development and optimization of the Integrated Core Services system, and covers the following topics: relational databases (PostgreSQL) and non-relational databases, for example MongoDB; systems based on the microservices paradigm; optimization and tuning of the system and services; creation of Java and Python modules for mapping and converting data and metadata; creation and optimization of graphical interfaces with AngularJS; semantic integration, development, and optimization of DCAT-AP extensions. The activities to be carried out will be agreed with the student based on their topics of interest. ...

(This article was originally written for VRE4EIC Newsletter. Follow this link to the original source). The European Plate Observing System (EPOS) highlights how its research infrastructure has become more efficient and user friendly by utilizing technology developed in the frame of the EU H2020 VRE4EIC project. In the last decades quite an amount of tools, technologies and software has been developed to support and improve research throughout the entire data lifecycle[1]. This includes software, modeling tools, and even code that can be used and re-used by researchers around the world. However, more and more emphasis has been given to the structural components that enable a Research Infrastructure[2] to be sustainable, robust and, even most importantly, compliant to the FAIR principles[3]. Such principles prescribe–in order to enable reproducible science–that data need to be findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable. It is usually up to research infrastructure designers, developers and managers to find the best architecture and technologies to enable FAIR to become reality in their scientific domain. However, looking transversally at science domains, it is clear that there is a number of challenges common to several communities, as evidenced by the common requirements elicitation and analysis of existing technical assets carried out both in the VRE4EIC and ENVRIplus project[4]. In this framework, VRE4EIC is promoting the adoption of common, standard technical solutions in order to facilitate Research Infrastructures in facing shared challenges and thus complying with FAIR principles. This is the case of the European Plate Observing System (EPOS), a Distributed Research Infrastructure long-term plan to facilitate integrated use of data, data products, and facilities from distributed research infrastructures for solid Earth science in Europe. ...

It feels a little strange: I am both proud of and slightly shy about the video we released in the framework of the VRE4EIC project. It was funny: I had just landed at Schiphol airport and rushed to TU Delft University. I suddenly found myself at the New Media Center, in front of a camera, inside a soundproof studio with a bright green background, with a few people watching, or perhaps staring, from behind the soundproof glass. Then I had to start speaking with my southern European English accent. That was the embarrassing part. ...

I am particularly proud to share this work, coordinated by Luca Trani. I hope it will pave the way for future developments and formal recognition of the EPOS-DCAT-AP extension. ...