10.5880/BFO eng dataset GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences datapub@gfz.de https://gfz.de Helmholtz-Centre Potsdam - GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences Helmholtz-Centre Potsdam - GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences pointOfContact 2026-01-21 urn:ogc:def:crs:EPSG:4326 Black Forest Observatory Data 2026-01-21 revision 1971-01-01 creation doi:10.5880/BFO Black Forest Observatory (BFO) author Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany KIT Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany originator University of Stuttgart, Germany University of Stuttgart, Germany originator GFZ Data Services publisher 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. Complete BFO Operator operator@black-forest-observatory.de www.black-forest-observatory.de informtion pointOfContact Forbriger, Thomas KIT Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany Thomas.Forbriger@kit.edu http://www.gpi.kit.edu/english/Staff_196.php informtion pointOfContact Widmer-Schnidrig, Rudolf University of Stuttgart, Germany widmer@gis.uni-stuttgart.de pointOfContact tiltmeter infrasound magnetometer Schiltach Geowissenschaftliches Gemeinschaftsobservatorium des Karlsruher Instituts für Technologie (KIT) und der Universität Stuttgart Geowissenschaftliches Gemeinschaftsobservatorium der Universitäten Karlsruhe und Stuttgart SG056 IRIS/IDA IGETS II/BFO GR/BFO BF/BFO GNSS GREF Intermagnet GRSN German Regional Seismic Network Global Seismic Network GGP Global Geodynamics Project GSN IRIS/IDA Earth Remote Sensing Instruments > Passive Remote Sensing > Positioning/Navigation > GPS > GNSS RECEIVER In Situ/Laboratory Instruments > Current/Wind Meters > ANEMOMETERS In Situ/Laboratory Instruments > Gauges > RAIN GAUGES In Situ/Laboratory Instruments > Magnetic/Motion Sensors > Accelerometers > ACCELEROMETERS In Situ/Laboratory Instruments > Magnetic/Motion Sensors > Gravimeters > GRAVIMETERS In Situ/Laboratory Instruments > Magnetic/Motion Sensors > Gravimeters > SUPERCONDUCTING GRAVIMETER In Situ/Laboratory Instruments > Magnetic/Motion Sensors > Seismometers > SEISMOMETERS In Situ/Laboratory Instruments > Pressure/Height Meters > BAROMETERS In Situ/Laboratory Instruments > Pressure/Height Meters > MICROBAROGRAPHS In Situ/Laboratory Instruments > Pressure/Height Meters > STRAIN METER In Situ/Laboratory Instruments > Temperature/Humidity Sensors > HUMIDITY SENSORS In Situ/Laboratory Instruments > Temperature/Humidity Sensors > Hygrometers > HYGROMETERS In Situ/Laboratory Instruments > Temperature/Humidity Sensors > TEMPERATURE SENSORS In Situ/Laboratory Instruments > Temperature/Humidity Sensors > Thermometers > THERMOMETERS GCMD Instruments publication EARTH SCIENCE > SOLID EARTH > GEOMAGNETISM > MAGNETIC FIELD > GEOMAGNETIC INDUCTION EARTH SCIENCE > SOLID EARTH > GEOMAGNETISM > MAGNETIC FIELD > MAGNETIC INTENSITY EARTH SCIENCE > SOLID EARTH > GRAVITY/GRAVITATIONAL FIELD > GRAVITATIONAL FIELD EARTH SCIENCE > SOLID EARTH > GRAVITY/GRAVITATIONAL FIELD > GRAVITY EARTH SCIENCE > SOLID EARTH > TECTONICS > PLATE TECTONICS > STRAIN NASA/GCMD Earth Science Keywords publication CC BY 4.0 CC BY 4.0 The data of the BFO geomagnetic observatory are distributed under the CC BY NC 4.0 license The data of the BFO geomagnetic observatory are distributed under the CC BY NC 4.0 license 10.5445/IR/1000043755 DOI Cites 10.5445/IR/1000089813 DOI Cites 10.5445/IR/1000043758 DOI Cites http://www.black-forest-observatory.de/ URL References http://www.intermagnet.org/ URL IsPartOf 10.5880/INTERMAGNET.2014 DOI IsPartOf 10.25928/MBX6-HR74 DOI IsPartOf 10.7914/SN/II DOI IsPartOf https://igs.bkg.bund.de/dataandproducts/browse URL IsPartOf https://isdc.gfz-potsdam.de/igets-data-base/ URL IsPartOf http://ds.iris.edu/ URL IsPartOf http://www.fdsn.org/ URL IsPartOf https://www.fdsn.org/networks/detail/BF/ URL HasPart http://www.gpi.kit.edu/english URL IsPartOf http://www.gik.kit.edu/english URL IsPartOf https://www.gis.uni-stuttgart.de/en/ URL IsPartOf 10.2312/GFZ.b103-16087 DOI Cites eng geoscientificInformation Laboratory Building 8.32314 8.32314 48.329 48.329 1971-01-01 area of permanent installations 8.32303 8.33089 48.3289 48.3307 1971-01-01 1971-01-01 1971-01-01 http://doi.org/10.5880/BFO WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Data Access - DOI Data Access - DOI information