Today, more than 40 national and regional Geological Survey Organisations (GSOs) from over 30 European countries have joined forces to launch the ERA‐NET co-fund action “Establishing the European Geological Surveys Research Area to deliver a Geological Service for Europe (GeoERA)”. The integration of the participants’ knowledge and information on subsurface resources, to support sustainable use of the subsurface and to address some of Europe’s grand challenges, is the key aim of GeoERA. The GeoERA programme, was initiated through EuroGeoSurveys – the organisation of European Geological Surveys, as part of the realization of its “vision towards a Geological Service for Europe” and extended to all GSOs on the European continent. It has an overall budget of 30.3 M€, of which 10 M€ is provided by European Commission and the remainder is provided by the GeoERA participants as in‐kind contributions to the funded transnational projects. It will provide interoperable, pan‐European data and information services on the distribution of geo‐energy, groundwater and raw material resources and harmonized methods to assess these. It will also develop common assessment frameworks and methodologies for supporting the European national and regional policy-makers for a better understanding and management of the water‐energy‐raw materials nexus to determine potential impacts and risks of subsurface use. Mrs Teresa Ponce de Leão, EuroGeoSurveys President, says “GeoERA represents the key step for establishing a common European Knowledge Base and to a joint provision of a Geological Service for Europe. The Geological Knowledge Base will provide European stakeholders with open access to objective and seamless data, information, knowledge and expertise on subsurface resources and their sustainable use and management”. Mrs Yvonne Schavemaker, GeoERA Project Manager, highlights the large impact GeoERA will have in integrating and harmonizing national and regional research resources and optimizing pan‐European coverage of geological...

“WONDER WATER- THE VALUE OF WATER” A GEOLOGICAL JOURNEY AROUND EUROPE’S MINERAL SPRINGS, SPAs AND THERMAL BATHS   Brussels, 10 March 2016 The latest EuroGeoSurveys publication “Wonder Water – the Value of Water” will be launched on the 15th March 2016 at 16.00 o’clock, at the Scotland House of Brussels, during the EuroGeoSurveys 40th General Meeting. The book brings you on a fantastic geological journey around Europe through mineral springs, thermal baths, SPAs, pools, etc. Are you ready to explore fantastic places and discover the health benefits of groundwater on which geology has a mayor impact? For instance, at the Clémentine spring of Spa in Belgium, calcium-bicarbonate water, once ingested, purifies the liver and facilitates digestion. Alkaline springs such the one of Troodos, Cyprus, are thought to have beneficial effects on healing rheumatic and skin diseases. Bath of sulphuric waters, such as at the Latvian health resort of Jaunķemeri, increase body tone, improve circulation of blood and metabolism. All these water’s properties are connected with particular geological situations (terrains, rock types, climate, etc.), reflecting a wide geological diversity across Europe. Special attention is given to myths and stories. In Finnish mythology, vedenväki (‘water folk’) were water spirits, nymphs, etc. said to dwell in lakes, rivers, rapids, the sea and even springs and wells. And how not to be fascinated with the Greek myth of Pyra and Defkelionas? To gain many and strong children they had a bath in the warm spring waters of Edipsos, and thus acquired Hellin, father of all the Hellenic tribes. Through “Wonder Water” EuroGeoSurveys renewed its commitments in engaging with the wider public to communicate geology by showing how our groundwater, essential in our daily life, is used and enjoyed. Indeed, it has been estimated that 75% of European Union...

A paper on European Groundwater Geochemistry has just been published in the “European Geologist”, the Journal of the European Federation of Geologists, special issue “Towards 2020: groundwater research in Europe”.  Demetriades, A., Cullen, K., Reimann, C. & Birke, M., 2015.  EGG: European Groundwater Geochemistry.  Special Issue:  Towards 2020: groundwater research in Europe, European Geologist, 40, 20-28. To download the paper, click here The full version of the Special Issue can be downloaded at  http://eurogeologists.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/EGJ40_final_LR.pdf...