The new infrastructure will be dedicated to the continuous monitoring of the ionosphere and the study of Space Weather phenomena
Thursday 1st October, in La Spezia, theIstituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) will inaugurate the third Ionospheric Observatory in Italy. The infrastructure will be entirely dedicated to the observation of the ionosphere and the study of phenomena Space Weather, increasingly important activities for understanding and monitoring phenomena that can influence technologies and communication networks.
The inauguration ceremony will take place at 11:00 am, in via Fabio Filzi 38, at the INGV Ionospheric Sounding Station, in the presence of the INGV top management, representatives of local administrations and the military authorities of the territory.
Representatives of theCultural Institute of the Spezzini Astrophiles Association®, which houses the Observatory in a building it owns. The collaboration between INGV and the Association, which strengthens the link between scientific research and local cultural institutions, will be the focus of an in-depth scientific seminar scheduled for 12:00 p.m. at the Association's headquarters, at Via Pietro M. Beghi 21.
"The inauguration of the new Ionospheric Observatory of La Spezia represents a further step in the strengthening of the INGV observation network and strengthens our ability to study and monitor Space Weather phenomena, which are increasingly relevant for a society heavily dependent on technologies and communication systems – declares the President of INGV, Fabio Florindo –. The collaboration with the Cultural Institute Associazione Astrofili Spezzini® also represents a virtuous example of synergy with the local area, capable of combining scientific research, observation, and the dissemination of knowledge.
Since the establishment of the National Institute of Geophysics, desired in 1936 by Guglielmo Marconi, the study of the ionospheric and space environment is among the institutional tasks of the INGV. The objective is twofold: to advance scientific research and to provide practical applications for HF band radiocommunications, helping to identify and predict the best radio propagation conditions in the Mediterranean basin.
Joining the historic observatories of Rome and Gibilmanna, the new installation in La Spezia expands the INGV observation network and strengthens research activities on the dynamics between the Sun and Earth, with direct and fundamental implications for the security of technological infrastructures and communications networks.
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Photo 1 - Beginning of installation of the ionospheric observatory. Visible behind the van are the 22-meter-high pylon supporting the ionospheric antennas on the left and the prefabricated building housing the electronic equipment on the right. The site, made available by the Cultural Institute Associazione Astrofili Spezzini®, is particularly suitable due to its low ambient electromagnetic noise and the scarcity of nearby metal structures.
Photo 2 - Complete vertical ionospheric sounding system. Located inside the prefabricated structure, it is composed of various parts, from left to right: the operation control monitor, transmitter, receiver, and amplifier (center), and the computer that manages the measurement, data analysis, and web-based dissemination of results (right).
Photo 3 - Antenna support mast seen from below: the thick, parallel lines are the radiating elements of the transmitting and receiving antennas. The impressive size of the antennas used for this type of measurement is dictated by the frequencies at which the ionosphere is reflective, between approximately 1 and 20 MHz.