The International Federation of Digital Seismograph Networks (FDSN): An Integrated System of Seismological Observatories

The International Federation of Digital Seismographic Networks (FDSN) is a non-governmental organization formed by institutions dedicated to seismological research and seismic monitoring. The FDSN is a successful complement to the International Seismological Centre (ISC) in pursuing a more than a century old tradition of global seismic data exchange. The main goal of the FDSN is the production and dissemination of seismic waveform data from high fidelity seismic observatories. The Federation is formed by 65 organizations from 52 countries that contribute data to three main data centers in the United States, Europe, and Japan. A subset of the stations that conform the FDSN send real-time to the Data Management Center (DMC) of the Incorporated Research Institutions of Seismology (IRIS) in the United States. Data from this real-time network is crucial to the determination of the seismic parameters of large earthquakes in a very short time after their occurrence and to support the efforts of institutions that are responsible for disaster relief or prevention. Most notably, Tsunami Warning Centers use this information as a fundamental underpinning to issue warnings and alerts. The FDSN is an early participant of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), contributing high-quality, timely and freely accessible seismic data. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the FDSN from the viewpoint of an integrated system of observatories and to share with other GEOSS networks the successes, challenges and lessons learned by the FDSN in promoting the open and free access of seismological data for the benefit of scientific research and disaster prevention and mitigation.