4.3. Europe is taking the lead
Over the last decade European scientists have attained a world-leading position in such sub-disciplines of modern Solid-Earth sciences as seismic tomography, the development of new seismological techniques such as receiver functions, the study of subduction processes, inversion of multi-component seismic data, astronomically-calibrated dating, Earth materials subjected to high strains, and modelling of sedimentary basin evolution.
European scientists also play a world-leading role in geodesy and the application of new space technologies (gravity, magnetic, radar- and SAR-techniques, GPS-applications). Leading Earth monitoring satellites are such European satellites as CHAMP, Oersted, ENVISAT and ERS-2. Europe plays an important role in experimental in-situ studies (high-pressure experiments, experimental facilities like the European Synchrotron Radiation facility or HASYLAB in Hamburg). Partners in the TOPO-EUROPE Project have equipment available which is unique world-wide for the proposed activities, ranging from satellites over instrument pools to experimental facilities and modelling power. The TOPO-EUROPE research domain is most important for the economical future of Europe as it covers such aspects as natural resources (e.g. water, fossil fuels, geothermal energy), natural hazards and waste disposal.
Europe is now pioneering the rapidly growing field of coupled topographic – climate processes requiring the development of combined numerical – analogue modelling techniques and the introduction of innovative isotopic methods.
Integrated Solid-Earth System science is definitely at the forefront of modern Earth sciences. As a result of this European integration process, dedicated efforts were made in a number of leading European research labs, putting European scientists in a unique position to expand this strength to a truly European scale. Probably nowhere in the world are the conditions so favourable to establish a link between Solid-Earth processes and the System Earth at large. This effort will directly build on the foundation of previous ESF initiatives, such as EUROPROBE and the European GeoTraverse (EGT). Leading researchers from amongst others the USA, Canada and Australia have expressed a strong interest to be associated with TOPO-EUROPE. The same is true for scientists from countries at Europe’s rim.