Curtis, Andrew ; Lythgoe, Karen ; Hicks, Stephen P. ; Bie, Lidong ; Strutz, Dominik ; Chambers, Emma ; Baptie, Brian ; Cornwell, Dave ; Huebert, Juliane ; Irving, Jessica ; Jones, Glenn ; Lebedev, Sergei ; Ben Mansour, Walid ; Montiel Álvarez, Aideliz ; Nippress, Stuart ; Van Noten, Koen ; Pharaoh, Tim ; Palamakumbura, Romesh ; Rawlinson, Nick ; Rodriguez Salgado, Pablo ; Verdon, James ; Zhu, Chuanbin ; Zhou, Wen ; Assink, Jelle ; Bastow, Ian ; Blenkinsop, Tom ; Bonadio, Raffaele ; Chew, David ; Cotton, Fabrice ; Craig, Tim ; Day, Elizabeth ; Diaferia, Giovanni ; Dunning, Stuart ; Edwards, Ben ; Fagereng, Ake ; Gilligan, Amy ; Green, David ; Healy, David ; Horleston, Anna ; Ireland, Mark ; Jenkins, Jenny ; Johnson, Jessica ; Kearsey, Tim ; Kettlety, Tom ; Kiyan, Duygu ; Koelemeijer, Paula ; Kounoudis, Rita ; Lu, Chuanchuan ; MacDonald, Alan ; Magrini, Fabrizio ; Marignier, Auggie ; Martin, Carl ; Mindi, Dino ; McCarthy, Dave ; Möllhoff, Martin ; Neill, Iain ; Nowacki, Andy ; Paap, Bob ; Pilia, Simone ; de Ridder, Sjoerd ; Ruigrok, Elmer ; Shi, Peidong ; Stork, Anna ; Turner, Alice ; Whiteley, Jim

published in Astronomy & Geophysics, 67 issue 3, pp. 3.31-3.37 (2026)

Abstract: Scientific exploration of the UK and Ireland’s subsurface is important for both economic and population growth, sustainable use of natural resources, storage of greenhouse gas, and to inspire curiosity about the Earth beneath our feet. This article outlines a vision for an array of seismological instruments spanning the UK and Ireland (UKI-Array), augmented by other types of geophysical sensors, to maximise the value offered by existing equipment pools. The mission is to research natural phenomena in the deep and shallow Earth, to solve problems concerning hazards and resources, to connect scientists to school pupils and the broader public, and thus to inspire a new generation to learn about geophysics. This vision was created through a community driven process of engagement and participation. This paper describes the concept and design of UKI-Array; the companion paper discusses potential applications.

Keyword(s): Seismometer array ; Seismic noise ; Earthquake ; Imaging
DOI: 10.1093/astrogeo/atag017