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Data Publication
Black Forest Observatory Data
Black Forest Observatory (BFO)
GFZ Data Services
(1971)
The Black Forest Observatory Data collection compiles digital data recorded at Black Forest Observatory (BFO) in Germany and provided through several international data centers. BFO aims to observe the entire geodynamic spectrum. It strives to ensure continuous, uninterrupted operation and is internationally recognized for high signal quality and sensitivity. Observed quantities cover three components of acceleration (including ground motion, gravity and tilt), strain, magnetic field, and others (see description of instruments below). The set of instruments and data recorders in operation provides a significant level of redundancy, which allows to distinguish natural phenomena from possible instrumental artefacts. The Black Forest Observatory (BFO) is a joint research facility of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the University of Stuttgart (Duffner et al., 2018; Gottschämmer et al. 2014). Since 1971 it is operated in cooperation of the geophysical and geodetic institutes of both universities (Zürn, 2014). BFO is staffed with two scientists and one technician. Main activities of the observatory fall into four categories, which are (1) observation and publication of a continuously recorded multi-parameter geodynamic data set, (2) research, (3) hosting of guest-experiments, and (4) teaching. The location of the observatory (48.3301 °N, 8.3296 °E) in the middle of the Black Forest was carefully selected at large distances to potential anthropogenic sources of noise. The instruments are deployed in a former silver mine in competent granite rock at a depth of up to 170 m below the surface and at up to 700 m distance from the entrance of the mine. This provides a thermally very stable environment. Two air-locks provide additional protection against air-pressure variations and ensure thermal stability. Because of these favorable conditions and the excellent high precision instruments operated at BFO the observatory is internationally well known as one of the most sensitive sites for long period observations, providing international standards for the scientific community, e.g. for recordings of Earth's free oscillations. The Black Forest Observatory operates broad-band seismometers (STS-1 and STS-2), gravimeters (superconducting gravimeter SG056, LaCoste Romberg earth-tide gravimeter ET-19), tiltmeters (Askania borehole tiltmeter, Horsfall fluid tiltmeter), an array of three invar-wire strainmeters, magnetometers (a scalar GSM-90 Overhauser magnetometer and a three component Rasmussen fluxgate magnetometers) and a permanent GPS-station. These are supplemented by regularly repeated magnetic base-line measurements and observations of absolute gravity as well as the recording of several environmental parameters (air-pressure, infrasound, humidity, wind speed, precipitation and temperature). Some of the latter are used to correct geodynamic recordings for remaining disturbances. The data are published in near-real-time through international data centers (IRIS DMC at Seattle, SZO at the BGR in Hannover, INTERMAGNET, GNSS Data Center at the BKG in Frankfurt, IGETS Database at GFZ Potsdam). Data are made available free of charge to scientific projects as well as to the general public with attribution as defined in the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence (CC BY 4.0). An extended review of research at BFO is given by Zürn (2014) and Duffner et al. (2018, in German). Both provide references to published BFO research.
Keywords
Originally assigned keywords
Corresponding MSL vocabulary keywords
MSL enriched keywords
MSL enriched sub domains i
Source publisher
GFZ Data Services
DOI
10.5880/bfo
Authors
Black Forest Observatory (BFO)
Contributers
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany
HostingInstitution
KIT Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany;
University of Stuttgart, Germany
HostingInstitution
University of Stuttgart, Germany;
Geophysical Institute (GPI), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany
ResearchGroup
KIT Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany;
Geodetic Institute (GIK), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany
ResearchGroup
KIT Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany;
Institute of Geophysics, University of Stuttgart, Germany
ResearchGroup
University of Stuttgart, Germany;
Institute of Geodesy, University of Stuttgart, Germany
ResearchGroup
University of Stuttgart, Germany;
Ansorge, Jörg
ProjectMember
University of Karlsruhe, Germany;
Bohlen, Thomas
ProjectLeader
0000-0003-2845-9537
Geophysical Institute (GPI), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany; KIT Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany;
Duffner, Peter
ProjectMember
KIT Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany;
Emter, Dieter
ProjectMember
University of Stuttgart, Germany;
Forbriger, Thomas
ProjectMember
KIT Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany;
Fuchs, Karl
ProjectLeader
University of Karlsruhe, Germany;
Grafarend, Erik
ProjectLeader
University of Stuttgart, Germany;
Grossmann, Walter
ProjectMember
University of Karlsruhe, Germany;
Heck, Bernhard
ProjectLeader
KIT Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany;
Joswig, Manfred
ProjectLeader
University of Stuttgart, Germany;
Kutterer, Hansjörg
ProjectLeader
0000-0002-7368-5675
KIT Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany;
Mälzer, Hermann
ProjectLeader
University of Karlsruhe, Germany;
Müller, Stephan
ProjectLeader
University of Karlsruhe, Germany;
Otto, Heinz
ProjectMember
University of Karlsruhe, Germany;
Rietbrock, Andreas
ProjectLeader
0000-0002-3946-7826
Geophysical Institute (GPI), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany; KIT Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany;
Sneeuw, Nico
ProjectLeader
0000-0003-1796-0131
University of Stuttgart, Germany;
Strobach, Klaus
ProjectLeader
University of Stuttgart, Germany;
Wenzel, Friedemann
ProjectLeader
KIT Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany;
Wenzel, Hans-Georg
ProjectLeader
0000-0003-3228-1970
KIT Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany;
Westerhaus, Malte
ProjectMember
KIT Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany;
Widmer-Schnidrig, Rudolf
ProjectMember
University of Stuttgart, Germany;
Wielandt, Erhard
ProjectLeader
University of Stuttgart, Germany;
Zürn, Walter
ProjectMember
KIT Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany;
References
Zürn, W. (2014). Listening to the Earth - the Schiltach Observatory BFO. <i>Karlsruhe</i>. https://doi.org/10.5445/IR/1000043755
10.5445/IR/1000043755
Cites
Duffner, P., Forbriger, T., Heck, B., Westerhaus, M., Widmer-Schnidrig, R., & Zürn, W. (2018). Das Geowissenschaftliche Gemeinschaftsobservatorium Schiltach (BFO). <i>Karlsruhe</i>. https://doi.org/10.5445/IR/1000089813
10.5445/IR/1000089813
Cites
Gottschämmer, E., Bohlen, T., Forbriger, T., Knopf, P., Ritter, J., & Wenzel, F. (2014). The Geophysical Institute (GPI) today. <i>Karlsruhe</i>. https://doi.org/10.5445/IR/1000043758
10.5445/IR/1000043758
Cites
References
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INTERMAGNET, Altay-Sayan Branch Of Geophysical Survey Of Siberian Branch Of Russian Academy Of Sciences (Russia), Bureau Central De Magnétisme Terrestre, BCMT (France), Beijing Ming Tombs Geomagnetic Observatory Center, Institute Of Geology And Geophysics, Chinese Academy Of Sciences (China), Bogaziçi University, Kandilli Observatory And Earthquake Research Institute (Turkey), British Antarctic Survey (United Kingdom), British Geological Survey (United Kingdom), Centre De Recherche En Astronomie Astrophysique Et Géophysique (Algeria), Department Of Geophysics, Faculty Of Science, University Of Zagreb (Croatia), Dirección Meteorológica De Chile (Chile), École Et Observatoire Des Sciences De La Terre (France), Finnish Meteorological Institute (Finland), Fundació Observatori De L'Ebre (Spain), Geodetic And Geophysical Research Institute Of The Hungarian Academy Of Sciences (Hungary), Geological And Geophysical Institute Of Hungary (Hungary), Geological Institute Of Romania (Romania), Geological Survey Of Sweden (Sweden), Geophysical Center Of The Russian Academy Of Sciences (Russia), Geophysical Institute Of Slovak Academy Of Sciences, … Yu. G. Shafer Institute Of Cosmophysical Research And Aeronomy, Siberian Branch Of The Russian Academy Of Sciences (Russia). (2019). <i>Global magnetic observatory data 2014</i> [Data set]. GFZ Data Services. https://doi.org/10.5880/INTERMAGNET.2014
10.5880/INTERMAGNET.2014
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Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources. (1976). <i>German Regional Seismic Network (GRSN)</i>. Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe. https://doi.org/10.25928/MBX6-HR74
10.25928/MBX6-HR74
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Scripps Institution of Oceanography. (1986). <i>Global Seismograph Network - IRIS/IDA</i> [Data set]. International Federation of Digital Seismograph Networks. https://doi.org/10.7914/SN/II
10.7914/SN/II
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Voigt, C., Förste, C., Wziontek, H., Crossley, D., Meurers, B., Pálinkáš, V., Hinderer, J., Boy, J.-P., Barriot, J.-P., & Sun, H. (2016). Report on the Data Base of the International Geodynamics and Earth Tide Service (IGETS). In <i>Scientific Technical Report STR - Data; 16/08</i>. Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ. https://doi.org/10.2312/GFZ.B103-16087
10.2312/GFZ.b103-16087
Cites
Citiation
Black Forest Observatory (BFO). (1971). Black Forest Observatory Data [Data set]. GFZ Data Services. https://doi.org/10.5880/BFO
Geo location(s)
Laboratory Building
area of permanent installations