Fostering Curiosity-Driven Research on the Solid Earth: the Geo-INQUIRE project

 

Since 2022, researchers from 51 European institutions have been collaborating on Geo-INQUIRE, a multidisciplinary Horizon Europe project. This initiative aims to enhance, provide access to, and integrate key datasets, big data streams, and High-Performance Computing (HPC) tools critical for studying temporal variations in the solid Earth, forecasting multi-hazards, and analysing interactions between the solid Earth and its surrounding environments, including the ocean and atmosphere. 

Geo-INQUIRE seeks to overcome cross-domain barriers, particularly in the land–sea–atmosphere continuum, by leveraging cutting-edge data management techniques, advanced modelling and simulation methods, developments in AI and big data, and the extension of existing data infrastructures. The project focuses on disseminating these resources to the wider scientific community, aligning them with the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) framework. Although many of these resources already exhibit a high level of maturity, Geo-INQUIRE have advanced them by improving availability, quality, and spatial and temporal resolution. The initiative emphasizes adherence to FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles, the adoption of open standards and licences, and the promotion of cross-disciplinary interoperability.  Integration of diverse datasets, including new observables, products, and services, is optimized through targeted activities in seven test beds. These test beds also host workshops and summer schools, providing hands-on training and engagement with project resources.

We highlight key scientific achievements, including participation by over 2,300 scientists in seminars and training activities and improved access to new datasets. We also examine new collaborative frameworks designed to increase diversity and encourage interdisciplinary research, and address the challenges of developing FAIR-compliant infrastructures adapted to machine-learning-driven science.

We finally discuss how National programmes could support alignment of national infrastructures with European-level integration to maximise the impact and sustainability of cross-domain data sharing and joint services. Experience from Geo-INQUIRE shows that sustained coordination mechanisms, shared access frameworks (e.g. Transnational Access), and targeted support for interoperability and training are essential for effective cross-domain integration and long-term community uptake, and could therefore be also embedded in national funding and governance schemes.