Orgeval Observatory for Research and Experimentation (ORACLE)

The Oracle-Orgeval research observatory is one of France's oldest critical zone observatories, established in 1962. Since its creation, the observatory has been able to adapt to emerging societal and environmental issues, and today the site is representative of three key aspects: (i) sedimentary basins and drained hydromorphic soils in arable farming contexts, (ii) changes in national agricultural policy, and (iii) climate change and its impact on water resources. The observatory is therefore an attractive site for setting up research projects, and is involved in a number of issues: diffuse pollution of agricultural origin, the chemical quality of river water and the impact of climate change on water resources.
chemical quality of surface and groundwater, pesticides and scientific issues relating to biodiversity.
The observatory is also an exploratory workshop for technological innovations, such as high-frequency measurements in biogeochemistry, and a 'living lab' for the development of digital models for
environmental impact studies and adaptive land management.

• Mr Hocine HENINE
• Mr Arnaud BLANCHOUIN