PanGeo: Enabling Access to Geological Information in Support of GMES


Since February 2011 the European Federation of Geologists participates in the 36-month PanGeo project funded within the 7th European Framework Programme and coordinated by FUGRO NPA LIMITED.
The objective of PanGeo is to enable free and open access to geo-hazard information in support of GMES. This will be achieved by the generation of a validated Geohazard Data Layer supported by a Geohazard Summary for 52 of the largest towns listed in the GMES Land Theme's Urban Atlas involving all 27 countries of the EU.
Upon user enquiry, a PanGeo web-portal will automatically integrate the geo-hazard data with the Urban Atlas to highlight the polygons influenced. The datasets will be made discoverable, accessible and useable via a distributed web-map system as built and demonstrated by OneGeology Europe (http://www.onegeology-europe.eu).

The key users of PanGeo are supposed to be:
- Local Authority planners and regulators concerned with managing development risk,
- National geological surveys and geo-science institutes which are obliged to collect geohazard data for public benefit,
- Policy-makers concerned with assessing and comparing European geological risk, much as the Urban Atlas data is used to compare the land cover/use status of European towns.

Products will be made by integrating:
a) interpreted InSAR terrain-motion data (derived from existing projects, e.g. ESA GSE Terrafirma plus new processing),
b) geological information, and
c) the landcover and land use data contained within the Urban Atlas.

The integration and interpretation, plus a validation of key features observed, will be made by the corresponding national Geological Survey for the towns concerned. It is planned to deliver the service for two Urban Atlas towns in each country of the EU (Luxembourg and Cyprus only 1), equalling fifty-two towns in total. The geological survey concerned will choose the towns for processing from the Urban Atlas list using their own knowledge as to where the information will be of most use, probably the largest towns, which, when extrapolated, would equal (13% of total EU urban population). User input to design will be facilitated by the Surveys contracted into the project and initiation of 'Local Authority Feedback Group'. Terrafirma has shown the potential for the self-sustainability of services providing InSAR-derived terrain-motion data, as 30% of users have gone on to procure further product on a commercial basis.