NATIONAL OBSERVATORY OF ATHENS

The Geodynamic Institute (G.I.) is one of the three Institutes of the National Observatory of Athens, a National Research Center under the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation of the Ministry of Development and Investment. Its headquarters are located in Athens, on the hill of the Nymphs, in the Thiseion area.

The G.I. is one of the oldest research institutes in Greece. It was founded in 1893, when the Greek state recognized the problem posed by earthquakes, and since then it has been operating without uninterruption. In 1897, the first seismograph was installed in Athens. By 1900, the first seismographic network began operating, consisting of just five stations (in Athens, Aegion, Zakynthos, Kalamata and Chalkida) equipped with Agamennone seismographs. That is when the G.I. began its systematic seismicity monitoring within the area that extends from 34°-42° N latitude and from 19°-30° E longitude.

The Institute’s main operational activity is the continuous, 24-hour monitoring of seismicity in Greece, including the provision of information to the pertinent authorities and the public. The Institute’s primary scientific purpose is to conduct research in disciplines within the domain of earth sciences; this includes the disciplines of seismology, physics of the Earth’s interior, geophysics, plate tectonics, seismotectonics, engineering seismology, geodesy, tsunamis and volcanology-geothermy.

Within the framework of its operational and scientific objectives, the G.I. records, collects and analyses a variety of seismological and geophysical parameters through a number of national and international networks. At the same time, it participates in national and international research projects, development projects and expert consulting, while also providing training and third-party services. In 2010, the National Tsunamis Warning Center was established by law, with the mandate to inform and help mitigate this natural hazard.