GFZ Seismological Data Archive

Networks archived at GEOFON

The GEOFON archive includes over 150 seismic networks with more than 4800 stations, spanning 27 years from 1993 to today. Most data is open and available on request.

In the table below
  • Virtual networks are collections of stations which belong to two or more different networks.
  • Special Task Force experiments from GFZ are displayed as temporary networks.

Station coordinates may be found as StationXML or KML format from the network's own page, or for all networks.

R Restricted access networks/stations - waveforms for these are not currently available with fdsnws-dataselect.
A Availability service for each network/station - presents details of archived time windows.
i The station information service.
D This seismic network's data set has a DOI. Use this when citing this network's data.
E Network contributed to EIDA.
All Permanent 35 Temporary 114 Virtual 6 Restricted 43 EIDA 118

Code
Network description
Start
Stations
 
1A
2016
30
R D E i A
1B
2006
30
  E i A
1C
2016
9
  D E i A
1G
2012
72
R D i A
1M
2018
1
R D i A
1P
2014
13
R D i A
1T
2014
108
  D E i A
2B
2007
30
  D E i A
2D
2013
28
R i A
2D
2018
1
R D i A
2F
2012
50
  D E i A
2G
2016
6
  D E i A
2L
2015
9
R D E i A
3D
2014
23
  D i A
3D
2010
15
R i A
3E
2012
10
  D E i A
3H
2016
29
R D E i A
3H
2014
34
  D E i A
3H
2009
15
  D E i A
3J
2013
11
  D E i A
4A
2012
9
  D E i A
4B
2008
7
R i A
4C
2011
80
  E i A
4C
2017
15
R D i A
4K
2017
4
R D E i A
5C
2012
34
  D i A
5E
2011
30
  D i A
5H
2013
49
R D E i A
5K
2015
7
  D E i A
5L
2013
25
  D E i A
5M
2015
12
R D E i A
5M
2018
12
R D E i A
6A
2008
11
  D E i A
6A
2010
41
  D i A
6C
2009
18
  E i A
6C
2019
30
R i A
6C
2013
8
  D i A
6E
2007
20
  i A
6G
2011
10
  D E i A
6G
2017
45
R D E i A
6H
2015
4
  E i A
7A
2019
100
R D E i A
7A
2008
42
  D E i A
7B
2008
57
  D E i A
7E
2006
196
  D E i A
7G
2016
35
R D E i A
7L
2017
4
  D E i A
8A
2010
20
  D E i A
8E
2014
6
  D E i A
8E
2018
4
  D E i A
8F
2005
35
R D E i A
8G
2013
25
R D E i A
8H
2015
31
R D E i A
9A
2007
39
  E i A
9C
2010
41
  D i A
9H
2013
43
R D E i A
9H
2016
10
R D E i A
9H
2020
7
R E i A
9J
2017
37
R D E i A
AD
2005
23
  D i A
AF
2007
7
R i A
AW
2006
18
  D E i A
CK
2009
7
  E i A
CN
1992
3
  E i A
CX
2006
26
  D E i A
CZ
1991
22
  D E i A
D0
2015
24
R i A
DK
1996
44
  E i A
EE
1996
5
  E i A
EI
1993
6
  E i A
FN
2005
4
  E i A
GE
1993
121
  D E i A
GF
2012
7
R i A
GX
2019
1
  E i A
HE
1980
20
  D E i A
HN
2017
4
  D E i A
HU
1995
16
  D E i A
IA
2000
154
R i A
IO
2014
1
  E i A
IQ
2009
30
  D E i A
IS
1994
42
  E i A
JS
1983
19
  E i A
KC
2010
4
  E i A
KD
2012
11
R D i A
KP
2013
1
  E i A
KV
2013
19
R D i A
M1
2011
9
  D E i A
NU
1999
9
  E i A
PL
1997
10
  E i A
PM
1997
6
  E i A
PZ
2006
16
R i A
SJ
2000
8
  E i A
SK
2004
12
  D E i A
TT
2010
3
  E i A
UP
2012
66
R E i A
WM
1996
16
  D E i A
X1
2013
5
  D i A
X6
2010
12
  i A
X8
2018
36
R D E i A
X9
2015
77
R D E i A
XC
1998
5
  D E i A
XE
1997
126
  E i A
XF
1997
56
  E i A
XN
2006
16
  E i A
XN
2015
22
R D E i A
XO
1995
49
  E i A
XO
2007
29
  E i A
XP
1998
9
  E i A
Y4
2014
19
  D E i A
Y7
2011
36
R i A
Y9
2007
23
  E i A
YG
2018
24
R i A
YU
1996
99
  D E i A
YZ
2017
15
  D E i A
Z2
2006
16
  E i A
Z3
2005
56
  D E i A
Z3
2017
16
R D E i A
Z4
2006
80
  D E i A
Z5
2005
4
  E i A
Z5
2008
33
R i A
Z6
2004
143
  E i A
ZA
2002
83
  D E i A
ZA
1996
6
  E i A
ZA
1994
25
  E i A
ZB
1997
58
  E i A
ZB
1989
49
R i A
ZB
1998
62
  E i A
ZB
1994
4
  E i A
ZC
2001
10
  E i A
ZC
1996
55
  E i A
ZD
2003
27
  E i A
ZD
1996
3
  E i A
ZE
2010
42
  E i A
ZE
1999
87
  E i A
ZE
2012
51
  D E i A
ZE
1996
39
  D E i A
ZF
1997
3
  E i A
ZF
1999
11
  E i A
ZG
1999
22
  E i A
ZO
2002
13
  E i A
ZP
1999
107
  E i A
ZQ
2004
5
  E i A
ZR
2000
60
  E i A
ZS
2002
30
  E i A
ZS
2017
165
R D E i A
ZV
2001
59
  E i A
ZW
2004
124
  D E i A
ZW
2010
29
  D i A
ZZ
2002
46
  D E i A
1993
117
  i A
1989
261
  i A
1993
150
  i A
1992
25
  i A
1992
37
  i A
2004
179
  i A

The GFZ Seismological Data Archive is the largest seismological data archive in Europe. It holds data from the permanent GEOFON VBB seismic network. For many GEOFON partner networks, GEOFON acts as backup archive and data distribution center. Additionally, data from many temporary station deployments are permanently archived at GEOFON, in particular passive seismological experiments of the GFZ Geophysical Instrument Pool Potsdam (GIPP) and the German Task Force Earthquake (data archival pending).

Real-time data streams from permanent networks are mostly acquired over the Internet and are immediately accessible as continuous data stream by SeedLink real-time feeds or on request from the archive. Most of the European networks acquired are contributed to EIDA. (In part EIDA grew out of an earlier concept, the VEBSN.) Although the archive consists mostly of data from broadband stations, a substantial amount of short period data is archived as well as some strong motion and OBS data.

The GEOFON Data Archive is linked to other partner data centers in Germany (German Integrated Data Archive - GIDA) and Europe (European Integrated Data Archive - EIDA). This integrated data archive infrastructure allows transparent access to the data of all participating archives through a single front-end data portal. All data are accessible in a unified way through FDSN web services and SeedLink.

Archive Access Overview

Method Open GFZ Nets Restricted GFZ Data Other EIDA Nets1
WebDC3 Yes Yes Yes
fdsnws-station Yes Yes No
fdsnws-dataselect Yes Yes No2
Notes
  1. EIDA nets are third-party contributions to the EIDA collaboration, hosted at other nodes.
  2. Except where the EIDA contributor lists GFZ as an alternative route.

Data availability

Archive access

Several methods are available to access waveform data from the GEOFON archive:

Archive access to restricted data

Access is restricted for:

  • data from recent temporary deployments (limited-duration embargos)
  • some permanent third-party stations/networks for which GEOFON also acts as archive and distribution point
Access to these data may be granted only if the data user can produce written permission from the data producer to use the data, i.e. from the PI of the experiment or a representative of the institution that operates the network. Requests for data access must be sent to GEOFON including the permission statement. Requests for restricted data can be made using using FDSN web services.

Please note we monitor requests of these data. Your personal data, generally credentials used to identify you to us, such as an e-mail address, are collected and retained. These are used to check whether you are allowed access to the data you request. Summary statistics for restricted networks are shared with the relevant data providers, for example project principal investigators (PIs) for temporary deployments, to enable them to understand usage of their data, and verify that their data sets are being shared according to their requirements. Some of these data providers are external to GFZ.

For GFZ users

GFZ users requesting restricted data held at GEOFON also require a token as described here. As GFZ does not participate in eduGAIN, you will need to create a "local" account at B2ACCESS. When you do so, you must check the box to request being part of EPOS. The B2ACCESS process only needs to be done once, and checks that you are associated with GFZ. See the "EAS User Documentation" for details.

Discontinuation of Arclink

After many years, Arclink access ended in December 2019. Synchronisation between EIDA nodes no longer occurs. See ORFEUS's announcement for additional information about the shutdown of this service.

Help transitioning from Arclink

Real-Time data feeds

GEOFON/GEVN data are available as real-time data feeds without special permission by the SeedLink protocol from the GEOFON SeedLink server at geofon.gfz-potsdam.de:18000. A visualization of the GEOFON real-time stations is provided in the form of "live" seismogram plots.

The current status is displayed by our SeedLink monitors:

Data formats

  • SeedLink real-time data comes in 512 byte Mini-SEED format.
  • Archive data shipments in 512 or 4096 byte SEED format.
  • Instrument response information as FDSN StationXML is available through the WebDC3 portal or as SeisComP XML from network pages.
  • In addition, instrument response information as Dataless SEED volumes (or SeisComP XML, coming soon) response files are available through the WebDC3 portal.

Database last updated at 2020 Sep 22 11:58:06