Research Infrastructure

With its diverse research infrastructure such as observatories, laboratories and reference collections, GeoSphere Austria supports the international research landscape and enables new scientific findings.

GeoSphere Austria operates internationally renowned, sustainable research infrastructures, which are explicitly embedded in the national, European and global research landscape. These research infrastructures include, for example, the two observatories (the Conrad Observatory in Lower Austria and the Sonnblick Observatory in Salzburg), the reference collections of rocks, fossils and minerals, as well as the drill core repository at the Erzberg in Eisenerz (Styria) with selected core sections and geochemical reserve samples, which are of great scientific and economic importance. GeoSphere Austria´s research infrastructure also includes the test site for geoelectrics and geothermal energy as well as the geoanalytics laboratory in Neulinggasse in Vienna, consisting of laboratories for sample preparation, rock geochemical analyses and mineralogical, palaeontological and hydrogeological investigations.

GeoSphere Austria uses its expertise to strengthen Austria´s participation in the action plan of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI), to optimise the use of existing research infrastructures and to contribute to the international orientation of research. Here, the environmental domain is among our focus areas.

Sonnblick Observatory: High-alpine climate, environmental measurement and research station

GeoSphere Austria´s high alpine Sonnblick Observatory is part of the pan-European Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure (ACTRIS). The aim of the ACTRIS initiative is primarily to create high-quality integrated data sets in the field of atmospheric sciences. The Sonnblick Observatory is integrated into ACTRIS as an observation site for in-situ aerosol and cloud observations and enables researchers from various institutions to carry out measurements on the Hoher Sonnblick (at an altitude of 3,106 m). The ACTRIS measurements contribute to a better understanding of the interaction between trace gases, aerosols and cloud formation. These research results are used in climate research, among other things, and enable even more accurate climate predictions. In addition, the Sonnblick Observatory operates the European Centre for ambient Cloud Intercomparison (ECCINT) for ACTRIS, which defines standards for the recording of cloud properties in Europe.

In addition, the Sonnblick Observatory is part of the eLTER research infrastructure (Integrated European Long-Term Ecosystem, critical zone and socio-ecological system Research Infrastructure, eLTER RI). In this context, monitoring in the ecosystem and biodiversity sector is made possible. In cooperation with the Hohe Tauern National Park, an eLTER platform will be set up at the Sonnblick Observatory and its surroundings as a high-quality observation site.

Conrad Observatory: Seismic-gravimetric and geomagnetic observatory 

The Conrad Observatory, which is almost entirely underground, is a geophysical observatory that offers a wide range of observation possibilities. With its range of supported measuring methods, instrumentation and the layout of the measuring tunnels, the Conrad Observatory is a globally unique research and development centre. Among other things, the observatory is part of the European research infrastructure consortium EPOS (European Plate Observing System) and is represented in the thematic focus areas ‘Multidisciplinary Laboratories’ and ‘Geomagnetism’. Data from the Conrad Observatory are also available in the European Data Centre for Seismological Broadband Data within EPOS.