Contribution to programme/key action objectives

HOTSPOT contributions to the objectives of the support for infrastructure programme are the following:

• It will make the multidisciplinary geophysical observational infrastructure of Iceland available for researchers in Europe.

• It will create a new public database of seismic observations in northern Europe, by linking them electronically through the established European databases of EMSC and ORFEUS and thus securing internal compatibility.

• It will create a new public database of geodetic observations of crustal deformation in Iceland, the first of its kind in Europe.

• It will design a new unmanned multipurpose geophysical observation station in the harsh conditions of the central highland of Iceland.

• It will improve existing infrastructure facilities by adding a variety of available sensors to them for enhanced geophysical observations.

• It will encourage scientists to participate in the project by making it easy for them to include their instruments to the observational network.

• It creates a network of researchers and end users for optimum use of resources, both observational networks as well as available observational facilities and skills.

• It will complement national and multinational initiatives by identifying gaps in the infrastructures in response to emerging scientific priority needs. It contributes to the design of new infrastructures and observational networks, and initiates new observations in parallel and forthcoming projects.

The data collected as a result of the HOTSPOT project will contribute to a wide variety of earth science research, particularly pertaining to seismic and volcanic risk, as well as large-scale phenomena such as Hotspot dynamics.

The project is a direct and logical continuation of significant European activities for seismic and volcanic risk mitigation, supported by EU, like the PRENLAB and PRENLAB-2 projects.

The HOTSPOT project therefore promotes advanced European research of global significance.