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Volcanological Software as a Service to the community

Chiara P. Montagna , Tomaso Esposti Ongaro, Francesco Martinelli, Federico Brogi, Simone Colucci, Mattia de\' Michieli Vitturi

Abstract

Scientific software is being more and more requested 'as a service' from a variety of stakeholders, including fellow researchers, students, policymakers, as well as the general public. Volcanological software is no exception, as testified by recent EU-funded initiatives such as ChEESE-2p, focused on using HPC solutions to model hazard and risk; Geo-INQUIRE, devoted to making geo-scientific products (data, software, infrastructure) available to foster curiosity-driven research; DT-GEO, aimed at creating Digital Twins for geophysical extreme events. These efforts have been favored by EPOS (European Plate Observing System), a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) committed to enabling excellent science by sharing of Solid Earth science research products and services. In this context, software needs to obey the same principles that guide data products: it should be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR). To this aim, a common effort should be sustained to maintain a community metadata catalogue of the available software; to develop Virtual Access platforms and Virtual Environments (for non-HPC software) able to make data and software interoperable through APIs; to promote Transnational Access initiatives to make HPC software accessible; and to support open-source software. We showcase here examples of effective software sharing by means of virtual and trans-national access schemes, that include training and support which become crucial as the software increases in complexity. Feedback between modelers and the wider volcanological community is key to advance in such interdisciplinary subjects as volcanic processes and hazard, and must be fostered by openly sharing resources, and providing support for their responsible use.