PanGeo Project Overview
Seventh Framework Programme of the European Commission
Theme [SPA.2010.1.1-01] Stimulating Development of Downstream GMES Services
PanGeo is a 3-year Collaborative project that started 1st February 2011 with the objective of enabling free and open access to geohazard information in support of GMES. This will be achieved by providing an INSPIRE-compliant, free, online geohazard information service for 52 of the largest towns in Europe covering approximately 13% of the population.
The geohazard information will be served in a standard format by the 27 EU national Geological Surveys via a modified version of the ‘shared access’ infrastructure as devised for the DG ISM project One-Geology Europe. The information to be served (a new ground stability data-layer and accompanying interpretation) will be made by each Survey. These products will be compiled from integrations of:
- Satellite Persistent Scatterer InSAR processing, providing measurements of terrain-motion. Half of these are existing datasets coming from the ESA GMES Service Element project Terrafirma.
- Geological and geohazard information already held by national Geological Surveys, together with their expertise.
- The polygonal landcover and landuse data contained within the GMES Land Theme’s Urban Atlas.
Upon user enquiry, a PanGeo web-portal will automatically integrate the ground stability layer with the Urban Atlas to highlight landcover polygons influenced. Clicking on polygons will hyperlink to interpretative reports. User input to design is facilitated by the 27 national Geological Surveys contracted into the project and a core group of Local Authority representatives.
It is trusted that sustainability of PanGeo will be achieved by attracting a proportion of the remaining 253 Urban Atlas towns to procure the PanGeo service for their towns. The service that will already be provided in their country will form the basis of the required promotional activity.
The key users of PanGeo are anticipated as:
- Local Authority planners and regulators who are concerned with managing development risk,
- National geological surveys and geoscience institutes who collect and disseminate 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 landcover/use status of European towns.
- The public.
The provision of an open-access, standardised information service on geohazards will enable policy-makers, regulators, and the public to:
- Systematically assess geohazards in each of the 52 towns involved.
- Gain understanding of the geohazards themselves.
- Know who to talk to for more information.
- Statistically analyse and cross-compare geohazard phenomena across EU countries.
- Gain a better understanding of the socio-economic costs involved.
- Make more informed decisions, e.g. on civil defence, planning controls.
- Have confidence that the information provided is robust and reliable.
The PanGeo team comprises 13 ‘core’ partners, as well as all 27 EU national geological surveys: Core Team partners are: Fugro NPA Ltd (UK - Project Coordinator), British Geological Survey (UK), Landmark Information Group (UK), TNO (N), SIRS (F), Institute of Geomatics (E), BRGM (F), EuroGeoSurveys (B), AB Consulting Ltd (UK), European Federation of Geologists (B), Tele-Rilevamento Europa (I), Altamira Information (E), Gamma Remote Sensing (S).
