Created by the University of Catania and the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, will have multidisciplinary skills for new volcanological research
Built the new Permanent Volcanological Observatory in Antarctica I-VOLCAN (Italian VOLCanological observatory in ANtarctica), managed byUniversity of Catania (UniCT) and by 'National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) which has like objective is the development of a multi-parameter monitoring system of the Melbourne volcano and subsequently of the Rittmann volcano. It will have a multidisciplinary character and will involve participants with complementary skills in different fields such as seismology, geodesy, gas and rock geochemistry, tephrochronology, technology and instrumentation, data science, volcano monitoring, database creation and management.
Active volcanoes are found all over the world, even in remote areas like Antarctica.
In recent years, Antarctic volcanism has attracted the attention of the international scientific community also following the recent eruptions of remote volcanoes, such as Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland in 2010 and Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai in 2022, which reminded us how even the most distant and least known volcanoes on Earth can pose a significant danger to large communities.
The permanent settlement and seasonal presence of scientists, technicians, tourists and logistics personnel in Antarctica has increased significantly in recent decades. Therefore, the need to better understand and monitor these volcanoes is becoming ever greater and more urgent.
The University of Catania and INGV have been collaborating intensely for years in the study of Antarctic volcanism, through research projects funded by the National Antarctic Research Program (PNRA). In particular, with projects ICE-VOLC (MultiparametrIC Experiment at antarctica VOLCanoes: data from volcano and cryosphere-ocean-atmosphere dynamics) coordinated by Prof. Andrea Cannata of the Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences of the University of Catania, MIMIC (Multidisciplinary Investigations on mount Melbourne volcano and its fumarolic Ice Caves) coordinated byIng. Gaetano Judge of the INGV Etna Observatory (INGV-OE), and CHIMERA (CryptotepHra In Marine sequences of the Ross Sea, Antarctica: implications and potential applications) coordinated by Dr. Paola Del Carlo of the Pisa Section of INGV (INGV-PI), detailed studies were carried out on the Melbourne volcano - located about 40 km from the Italian Mario Zucchelli base and, secondarily, on the Rittmann volcano, located about 140 km from the base.
The results of the studies have shown that both volcanoes are active, have fumaroles fed by volcanic gases and generate seismic signals typical of a volcanic environment, such as long-term events and tremors. Furthermore, tephrostrastigraphic and petrological studies performed on rock samples collected in various outcrops of Mount Melbourne have made it possible to reconstruct explosive eruptions with styles ranging from Strombolian to Plinian which occurred up to historical times. This means that Mount Melbourne is capable of generating highly explosive eruptions and is therefore potentially dangerous for the nearby scientific stations and for aviation safety throughout the Antarctic continent.
Other interesting aspects were the exploration and mapping for the first time of ice caves, located on top of volcanoes, which they are ice caves formed by hot fumarolic gases which melt the lower layer of ice and snow leaving a cavity which is accompanied by a typical chimney structure called ice tower. The exploration of ice caves it has made it possible both to identify incredibly fascinating environments and to identify protected places, suitable for hosting the instrumentation necessary for the continuous monitoring of volcanoes.
The results of ICE-VOLC, MIMIC and CHIMERA have been fundamental in obtaining the establishment of a new permanent volcanological observatory in Antarctica, recently admitted to funding by the PNRA and called I-VOLCAN (Italian VOLCanological observatory in ANtarctica).
Tale project with its multi-parameter network, will provide a continuous flow of multidisciplinary data (seismic, geodetic, geochemical, volcanological) which will be shared with the international scientific community leading to an advance in knowledge in the volcanological field, as well as in other disciplines such as geophysics, geodynamics, glaciology, climate and biology.
Setting up a monitoring network in remote areas such as the Antarctic continent will require a considerable effort from a technological point of view, as the instruments that make up the network must face the most extreme climate on Earth, characterized by very cold temperatures, strong winds and considerable variations in the duration of solar radiation ranging from full day of radiation during Antarctic summers to complete darkness during winters.
This problem of a purely technological nature has already been partially addressed in some of the activities carried out by the ICE-VOLC and MIMIC projects, thanks to which both continuous monitoring stations in the ice-caves and external stations such as sensors seismic-acoustic installed on the top of the Rittmann.
⟫ ⟫Pictures attached
⟫ ⟫Video here on the YT INGV - National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology
ANTARCTICA | Created a permanent Volcanological Observatory_Descent
ANTARCTICA | Established a permanent_External Volcanological Observatory
ANTARCTICA | Created a permanent Volcanological Observatory_Interior_IceCave
Useful links:
National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV)
National Antarctic Research Program (PNRA)
Project MIMIC (Multidisciplinary Investigations on mount Melbourne volcano and its fumarolic Ice Caves) Project CHIMERA (CryptotepHra In Marine sequences of the Ross Sea, Antarctica: implications and potential applications)
Photo of an ice-cave on the Rittmann, developed in a crevasse of a glacier (@PNRA)
Melbourne Volcano (@PNRA)
Geochemical and biological sampling inside the R5 cave on the Rittmann, characterized by high CO2 levels which require the use of self-contained breathing apparatus (@PNRA)
Frozen speleothems in a chamber inside MC3 Cave on the Melbourne (@PNRA)
The permanent seismic-acoustic station on the Rittmann (@PNRA)
