Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology

IRIS (Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology) was a university research consortium dedicated to exploring the Earth's interior through the collection and distribution of seismographic data. It operated the U.S. National Science Foundation's Seismological Facility for the Advancement of Geoscience (SAGE Facility) until 2023. IRIS programs contributed to scholarly research, education, earthquake hazard mitigation, and the verification of a Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. Support for IRIS came from the National Science Foundation, other federal agencies, universities, and private foundations. IRIS supported five major components: The Data Management Center (DMC) The Portable Array Seismic Studies of the Continental Lithosphere (PASSCAL) The Global Seismographic Network (GSN) The Transportable Array (USARRAY) Education and Public Outreach Program (EPO) IRIS maintained a corporate office in Washington, D.C. IRIS's Education and Public Outreach Program offered animations, videos, lessons, software, posters, and fact sheets to help teachers and the general public learn more about seismology and earth science and understand it better. The goal is to get more people interested in careers in geophysics. IRIS is listed in the Registry of Research Data Repositories re3data.org. On January 1, 2023, IRIS merged with UNAVCO to form the EarthScope Consortium that now operates both the U.S. National Science Foundation's SAGE and GAGE Facilities through 2025.