SURVEILLANCE OF SICILIAN AREAS
Monitoring Networks 
Monitoring Networks Operations room of the Etna ObservatoryThe surveillance and monitoring service of the Sicilian volcanic areas are carried out by the Etna Observatory (INGV-OE), in support of the Civil Protection bodies. This service is provided 24 hours a day, especially through the functions of the Operations Room, which communicates seismic and volcanic events to the National and Regional Civil Protection Department in real time, providing potential hazard scenarios.
The Palermo Section also contributes to the surveillance activities of Sicilian volcanoes through the geochemical monitoring of the fluid phases released by these devices and associated geothermal systems. Surveillance is carried out both by means of periodic "discreet" samplings, with subsequent chemical-isotopic analyses, and by continuously acquired measurements recorded by automatic multi-parameter stations.
The Operations Room of the Etna Observatory in Catania is the operational structure in which the signals acquired by the multi-parameter monitoring networks positioned on the Sicilian volcanoes converge: Etna, the Aeolian Islands (with a particular concentration of instruments in Stromboli and Vulcano), and Pantelleria. Here the data is displayed using advanced technical methods and processed in advance, in order to make short-term forecasts on the possible behavior of the monitored volcanic areas.
The monitoring systems of the EO's areas of competence are represented by a set of sophisticated instruments (seismic, geodetic, gravimetric, geochemical, video and geomagnetic) distributed throughout the territory to acquire information on variations in the state of activity or inactivity of volcanic apparatuses. The ability to recognize significant variations in the parameters acquired directly derives from the quality and efficiency of these systems.
The data collected by these technological systems, in addition to representing the fulcrum of the INGV-OE surveillance service for the definition of the "current" state of each volcanic system, constitute a vast and solid knowledge base for the modeling and simulation of possible future eruptive scenarios of the observed volcanoes.
The 24-hour surveillance activity in the OE Operations Room is carried out through a cycle of three daily shifts, each consisting of two suitably trained personnel. If necessary, the Operations Room staff is assisted by other expert staff, in weekly on-call shifts.
The staff on duty in the Operations Room have the task of checking the progress of the main parameters that characterize the activity in the areas of competence of the Etna Observatory, detected by the continuous monitoring systems present in the area. All significant changes are communicated to the competent bodies according to decision-making grids and timings which are rigidly codified in the agreement stipulated with the Civil Protection Department.
Since June 2014, it has also been the task of the Operations Room to issue the VONA (Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation) messaging, which constitutes the notification system of the activity of the Etna volcano and the related impact on aviation safety produced by the possible emission of volcanic ash into the atmosphere .
All press releases, VONA messages and bulletins on the activity of the EO's areas of competence are published on the Section website at the same time as they are issued.
For further information on the surveillance of Sicilian volcanoes, see:
http://www.ct.ingv.it/index.php/monitoraggio-e-sorveglianza/mappa-stazioni-ingv-oe
http://www.ct.ingv.it/index.php/monitoraggio-e-sorveglianza/la-sala-operativa
...
SURVEILLANCE OF COLLI ALBANI VOLCANOES
Average speeds of ground movement measured with GPS techniques (period 2006-2018) and InSAR (period 1992-2010).
Figure 2 – Above: the gaseous manifestation of Cava dei Selci; left: Carrying out a CO diffuse flux survey2 from the ground in the target area; des.: the continuous CO flux monitoring station2 from the soil and environmental parameters. Bottom: variation of CO diffuse flux2 from the ground measured on the target area of Cava dei Selci (6.000 m2) in the period April 2000-April 2012.
The Colli Albani volcanic complex is located in central Italy about 15 km southeast of the city of Rome, in an area belonging to the Roman potassic and ultrapotassic magmatic province. Recurring seismic activity, temperature variations and water composition, gas emissions, significant ground deformations measured with high-precision leveling techniques and detected through InSAR and GPS data (Riguzzi et al. 2009, Marra et al. 2016; Trasatti et al. al., 2018), indicate that the volcano cannot be considered completely extinct.
Geodetic Monitoring (GPS+SAR)
The Colli Albani area has been monitored since 1990 thanks to the creation of the first discrete GPS network (Anzidei et al., 1998). Starting from 2007, the development of an intense anthropic and industrial activity has suggested to switch from the discrete GPS network to a continuous acquisition network (CGPS). Currently, the network consists of 7 continuous stations (CGPS) of which 5 transformed from discrete stations and 2 (LARN and ALPA) installed from scratch (Tab. 1). The stations are connected remotely via LAN network or UMTS router and the data is collected in the servers of the RING network ((http://ring.gm.ingv.it).
|
Id |
Site |
Status |
receiver |
Antenna |
Transmission & storage |
|
ALPA |
Albano-Pavona |
New |
Trimble 5700 |
Leiat AT 504 |
RING Net |
|
LARN |
Larian |
New |
Leica GX1230 |
Leiat AT 504 |
RING Net |
|
MARN |
Marine |
Updated |
Leica GX1230 |
Leiat AT 504 |
RING Net |
|
NEMI |
Nemi |
Updated |
Leica GX1230 |
Leiat AT 504GG |
RING Net |
|
GDPR |
Rocca di Papa |
RING |
Leica GX1230Pro |
Leiat AT 504 |
RING Net |
|
RMP extension |
Monteporzio C. |
RING |
Leica GX1230Pro |
Leiat AT 504 |
RING Net |
|
ROPR |
Rocca Priora |
Updated |
Leica GX1230 |
Leiat AT 504 |
RING Net |
Table 1 - GPS stations of the Colli Albani monitoring network
The implementation of the continuous GPS network of the Colli Albani and its inclusion within the RING network offers the opportunity to detect the local movements of the volcano and to insert them in the characteristic geodynamic context of the area.
The speed range obtained from the processing of 12 years of data collected first by the stations belonging to the discrete and then continuous network is shown in Figure 1. The arrows identify the annual mean horizontal speeds from GPS data in the time interval 2006-2018.
The data were compared with those from SAR images which, although involving a slightly different time window of observation (1992 - 2010) are well linked to the last 12 years of deformation history of the Colli Albani.
The colored dots in the image identify the average annual speeds of ground movement, calculated with respect to the line of sight (LoS) of the satellite (angle of inclination with respect to the vertical ≅ 32°). Positive values identify a movement towards the satellite (uplift), while negative ones indicate a movement away from the satellite (subsidence). The SAR data used comes from the ERS 1-2 and ENVISAT ASAR satellite constellations, acquired in descending orbit. The images were processed using the PSI technique.
Geochemical monitoring
The Colli Albani area is characterized by the presence of areas with anomalous release of endogenous gases whose chemical and isotopic composition suggests an origin from the degassing of magmatic bodies or from the mantle (Carapezza and Tarchini, 2007). The main degassing area is Cava dei Selci (Fig. 2), but anomalous gas emissions also occur from the bottom of Lake Albano, and in the peripheral areas of Solforata, Ardea and Tor Caldara (Carapezza et al., 2012).
Geochemical monitoring of the Colli Albani began in 2000 following a death of cows and sheep in the Cava dei Selci area (Carapezza et al., 2003). In the following years it was also extended to the control of the gaseous emissions of Lake Albano (Carapezza et al. 2008). At the same time, the study of the aquifer and the monitoring of water points in the area which were found to be rich in CO was carried out2 dissolved and Rn (Pizzino et al., 2002).
The current geochemical monitoring program includes the following activities:
Quarry of the Selci
- restoration of a continuous CO flow monitoring station2 from the soil and environmental parameters (Fig. 2);
- installation of a radon probe in the soil, contiguous to the CO flux station2;
- restoration of the network of fixed points (target area) for the periodic monitoring of the diffuse degassing of CO2 from the ground and comparison with previous data (Fig. 2);
- annual sampling (to be intensified in the event of a crisis) of the event gas to determine its chemical and isotopic composition;
- installation in two water wells of a multi-parameter probe for the continuous measurement of the piezometric level, temperature and conductivity of the groundwater;
- installation of a radon and CO station2 in the air in a natural cave in Ciampino.
Albano lake
- six-monthly periodic campaigns (frequency to be increased in the event of a seismic crisis) for the control of the geochemistry of the lake, with the measurement of vertical profiles of the chemical-physical parameters of the water (T, pH, conductivity, Eh, O2 dissolved), from the surface to the bottom, using a multiparameter probe. Chemical and isotopic analysis of water and dissolved gases on samples taken near the bottom of the most recent crater and at lesser depths.
The chemical and isotopic analyzes of water and gas will be performed at the laboratories of the INGV section of Palermo.
References
Anzidei, M., Baldi, P., Casula, G., Galvani, A., Riguzzi, F., & Zanutta, A. (1998). Evidence of active crustal deformation of the Colli Albani volcanic area (central Italy) by GPS surveys. Journal of volcanology and geothermal research, 80(1-2), 55-65.
Carapezza, ML, Badalamenti, B., Cavarra, L., & Scalzo, A. (2003). Gas hazard assessment in a densely inhabited area of Colli Albani Volcano (Cava dei Selci, Rome). Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 123(1-2), 81-94.
Carapezza, ML, & Tarchini, L. (2007). Accidental gas emission from shallow pressurized aquifers at Alban Hills volcano (Rome, Italy): Geochemical evidence of magmatic degassing? Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 165(1-2), 5-16.
Carapezza, ML, Lelli, M., & Tarchini, L. (2008). Geochemistry of the Albano and Nemi crater lakes in the volcanic district of Alban Hills (Rome, Italy). Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 178(2), 297-304. Carapezza, ML, Barberi, F., Tarchini, L., Ranaldi, M., & Ricci, T. (2010). Volcanic hazards of the Colli Albani. The Colli Albani volcano. Special Publications of IAVCEI, 3, 279-297.
Carapezza, ML, Barberi, F., Ranaldi, M., Ricci, T., Tarchini, L., Barrancos, J., ... & Perez, N. (2012). Hazardous gas emissions from the flanks of the quiescent Colli Albani volcano (Rome, Italy). Applied geochemistry, 27
Marra, F., Gaeta, M., Giaccio, B., Jicha, BR, Palladino, DM, Polcari, M., ... & Stramondo, S. (2016). Assessing the volcanic hazard for Rome: 40Ar/39Ar and In‐SAR constraints on the most recent eruptive activity and present‐day uplift at Colli Albani Volcanic District. Geophysical Research Letters, 43
Pizzino, L., Galli, G., Mancini, C., Quattrocchi, F., & Scarlato, P. (2002). Natural Gas Hazards (CO2, 222Rn) within a Quiescent Volcanic Region and Its Relations with Tectonics: The Case of the Ciampino-Marino Area, Alban Hills Volcano, Italy. Natural hazards, 27
Riguzzi, F., Pietrantonio, G., Devoti, R., Atzori, S., & Anzidei, M. (2009). Volcanic unrest of the Colli Albani (central Italy) detected by GPS monitoring test. Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, 177(1-2), 79-87.
Trasatti, E., Marra, F., Polcari, M., Etiope, G., Ciotoli, G., Darrah, TH, Tedesco, D., Stramondo, S., Florindo, F., Ventura G. (2018) Coeval uplift and subsidence reveal magma recharging near Rome (Italy). Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 19 pp. 1484-1498, 10.1029/2017GC007303
TIMES and COMMUNICATION OF LOCATIONS
INGV communication scheme for earthquakes of magnitude equal to or greater than 3.0 towards DPC and towards the public.
Communications, to DPC, of the preliminary parameters of a seismic event of magnitude Ml ≥ 3.0 occur 2 and 5 minutes after the earthquake occurred. These data are disseminated via the web and social media at the same time, if the parameters are of good quality and therefore such as to guarantee a low discrepancy between the automatic determination and that calculated by the seismologists of the INGV Surveillance Rooms.
The staff on duty in the Halls, in fact, analyze the seismic signals and communicate the parameters of the earthquake that occurred (the time of origin of the earthquake, its geographical coordinates, its hypocentral depth and an estimate of the magnitude) within 30 minutes of the earthquake happening , on average within 12 minutes.
Communication between the INGV Rooms and the DPC provides for the seismic event announcement by phone call and e-mail and the sending of text messages. At the same time as the communications to DPC, the information is also published on the INGV website, on the blog and on the INGVterremoti social media.
For each localized earthquake, informative web pages are published which integrate all the INGV databases available for the area affected by the earthquake: historical earthquakes, instrumental seismicity of recent years, accelerometric data (shakemaps), information relating to the of the population (haisentitoilterremoto.it).
This information is the same that is reported in the Event Reports that INGV sends to DPC for all earthquakes with a magnitude Ml≥ 4.0 that occur on the national territory. An initial Report is sent within 1 hour, while a second Detailed Report is drawn up in the following hours, also containing elaborations and analyzes on the ongoing phenomenon.
THE SURVEILLANCE ROOMS
Seismic Surveillance and Tsunami Warning Room - INGV Rome
Operations Room of the Etna Observatory - INGV Catania
Software for localization and magnitude calculation used in the Seismic Surveillance Room.
Monitoring room of the Vesuvius Observatory - INGV Naples
Localization software of the seismic activity of Sicilian volcanoes.
Seismic activity tracking software for Campania volcanoes.
The Seismic Surveillance Room of ROME
The Seismic Surveillance Room of Rome is the operational structure that detects and identifies earthquakes that occur within the national territory or in neighboring areas that may be felt by the population; the Tsunami Alert Center for the Mediterranean and seismic surveillance of the Colli Albani volcanic complex are also operational in the same room.
In this Room the seismic signals recorded by the stations of the National Seismic Network are acquired in real time and processed automatically to calculate the fundamental parameters for identifying the earthquake:
-
the time of origin, i.e. the exact time when the earthquake occurred,
-
the geographical coordinates and the depth of the hypocenter of the earthquake,
-
the magnitude, i.e. an estimate of the magnitude of the earthquake.
Time, coordinates, depth and magnitude are then processed by the staff, who man the Surveillance Room 24 hours a day, every day of the year. For all earthquakes with a magnitude Ml ≥ 24, these parameters are communicated as quickly as possible to the DPC in order to initiate the necessary emergency or verification procedures on the territory, based on the severity and location of the earthquake.
Together with the seismic stations directly managed by INGV, some regional and local networks managed by other bodies, with which there is a collaboration and/or coordination relationship (pursuant to Legislative Decree 381/1999), contribute to the monitoring of the national territory . In particular, the collaboration with institutions and universities, such as INOGS and the DipTeRis of the University of Genoa, allows detailed monitoring of north-eastern and north-western Italy respectively, thanks to a long-standing synergy between INGV and these institutions . Other collaborations are active with the DPC (National Accelerometric Network), the Prato Ricerche Foundation, with ENEL SpA, with the A. Bina Observatory of Perugia, with the University of Calabria and with other observatories throughout the national territory. The complete list of the stations of the National Seismic Network, managed by INGV and of the other regional and local networks is available on the page http://cnt.rm.ingv.it/instruments/ .
In addition to the personnel on duty in the Room, other figures available 24/XNUMX contribute to the Seismic Surveillance Service, such as the Seismic Officer, the IT specialists and the staff of the Ancona, Grottaminarda and Milan offices who ensure the efficiency of the Room and the National Seismic Network .
The acquisition, analysis, archiving and distribution, through dedicated services, of all the seismic data processed are managed by an IT infrastructure which is an integral part of the Hall.
The seismic data analysis system in the Seismic Surveillance Room was designed and developed by INGV staff respecting the format and standards of international seismology. Furthermore, Sala's current IT procedures based on a microservices and real-time messaging architecture make it possible to share data both towards the DPC and towards the public in a simple and rapid way. INGV has also developed the software for locating and calculating the magnitude of seismic events on national territory and on a global scale; the procedures that create the seismic event announcements, the weekly Bulletins and the Event and Sequence Reports for DPC, which are published on the INGV website.
The Operations Room of Catania
The Operations Room of the Etna Observatory in Catania is the operational structure where the signals acquired by all the Monitoring Networks of the Sicilian volcanoes (Etna, Stromboli, Vulcano, Aeolian Islands, Pantelleria) are conveyed. Here the data are processed in advance and displayed using specific methods for the purposes of seismic surveillance of volcanic areas.
Signal analysis systems allow the detection and localization of local seismic events. These systems, by means of appropriate visualization and processing software, allow the personnel on duty to have a global vision updated in real time of the geophysical phenomena in progress and therefore to have the location and magnitude of the earthquakes recorded in the shortest possible time.
The surveillance activity, carried out 24/XNUMX every day of the year, is carried out through a cycle of three daily shifts, each consisting of two personnel. Furthermore, in the Operations Room there are systems that allow communication with the DPC, with the Seismic Surveillance Room in Rome and the Monitoring Room of the Vesuvius Observatory.
One of the main activities of the Operations Room of the Etna Observatory is to communicate to the DPC the occurrence of seismic events with a magnitude greater than the thresholds set for Sicilian volcanoes, of significant seismic swarms and of other events of potential relevance for the purposes of seismic surveillance of volcanic areas.
The locations of the seismic events and the related parameters are published on the INGV websites and blogs and on the INGVterremoti social media.
In order to maintain the efficiency of the Room and of the monitoring networks, other figures who are available 24/XNUMX contribute to the Surveillance Service, such as the seismologist, the volcanologist, the computer scientist and the technician.
The Monitoring Room of Naples
The Monitoring Room of the Vesuvius Observatory in Naples is the operational structure where the signals acquired by all the permanent Monitoring Networks of the Campania volcanoes (Vesuvius, Campi Flegrei, Ischia) and the Stromboli Seismic Network are conveyed. Here they are pre-processed and visualized in specific ways for volcanic surveillance purposes. In the Hall there are systems that allow communication with the DPC, with the Seismic Surveillance Room in Rome and the Operations Room of the Etna Observatory in Catania and with other institutions.
The automatic seismic analysis systems operating in the Hall allow the detection and localization of local seismic events. These systems are integrated into the visualization ones, allowing the staff in the room a global vision updated in real time of the geophysical phenomenologies in progress.
The surveillance activity, 24 hours a day, every day of the year, is carried out inside the Hall through a cycle of three daily shifts, each consisting of two personnel.
The main task of the Room is to communicate to the DPC the occurrence of seismic events with a magnitude greater than the thresholds envisaged for the volcanoes in Campania, of significant seismic swarms and of other events of potential relevance for surveillance purposes.
Software systems are operative in the Hall which allow the analysis of seismic events by the staff on duty, the calculation of the magnitude and the sending of the communications to the DPC. The locations of the seismic events and the relative magnitudes are published on the INGV websites and blogs and on the INGVterremoti social media.
In addition to the staff on duty in the Room, other figures available 24/XNUMX contribute to the Surveillance Service, such as the seismologist, the volcanologist, the computer scientist and the technician who ensure, among other things, the efficiency of the Room and the monitoring networks .
PECASUS
SURVEILLANCE: SPACE WEATHER FOR CIVIL AVIATION
INGV is a partner of the European consortium PECASUS ( www.pecasus.eu), born with the aim of supporting the safety of world civil aviation through the surveillance of space weather conditions (also known by the English term Space Weather).
The increase in air traffic on northern polar routes since the end of the XNUMXth century entails an increasing risk of exposure to adverse space weather conditions for travelers and flight crew. The strong emissions of matter and very high energy radiation from the Sun can have a major impact on the ability to navigate and communicate correctly not only in the polar areas of our planet but also at medium and even low latitudes. Severe solar storms increase radiation levels at flight altitudes, a phenomenon that needs to be taken into consideration when estimating the cumulative dose that can affect flight personnel.
Countermeasures are being implemented by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) involving the integration of space weather hazard warnings into civil aviation regulations. The alerts address specific impact areas: satellite navigation and communication, communication via high frequency (HF) radio waves, and radiation levels. Risks will be flagged as moderate or severe based on thresholds set by ICAO, and alerts contain information on both the ongoing condition and the next 24 hours.
The PECASUS consortium has been designated by ICAO as one of the three centers of excellence capable of providing the surveillance services required by the stringent civil aviation certifications. The monitoring infrastructures of the consortium partners and their ability to create algorithms and physical models guarantee PECASUS the production of surveillance services of the conditions of the circumterrestrial space, especially in the event of strong solar storms, supporting the risk assessment by the civil aviation authority.
INGV, in agreement with ENAC, participates in the provision of space weather services through the usability of both the data, suitably processed, produced by its own ionospheric observatories (link to http://eswuax.rm.ingv.it/) and geomagnetic (link a http://geomag.rm.ingv.it/index.php ) and by developing specific surveillance products as indicated by ICAO. The ionospheric observations carried out by INGV are aimed at the continuous monitoring of ionospheric conditions to establish the reliability of radio communications in the HF band and of satellite navigation and positioning services (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo) at a global level and in particular in the Mediterranean area. Furthermore, INGV carries out systematic measurements of ionospheric scintillation in the Svalbard Islands (Norway), South America and the Mediterranean area. Ionospheric observations are processed in real time and integrated with physical and empirical models to provide ICAO with specific observation and forecast products at different spatial and temporal scales.
In the field of geomagnetism, INGV manages the three national geomagnetic observatories located in the north, central and southern Italy, for the continuous recording of variations in the earth's magnetic field. The rapid variations of the field, with appropriate empirical methods, can provide important indications on the extent, duration and consistency of the changed conditions of magnetic activity and the relative consequences on a planetary scale. In cascade, these strong variations in the Earth's magnetic field can cause ground effects such as the induction of anomalous electric currents on ground-based electric generators and on satellite sensors.