Geophysical Institute Trieste

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The Oceanographic and Geophysical Institute Trieste (Italian: Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale , OGS) is a state research institute with several departments in the vicinity of Trieste . It emerged from the Trieste weather station founded by Austria-Hungary in 1841 .

The observation station was converted into a marine observatory in 1903 - u. a. because of the important level at Molo Sartorio , to which Central Europe's altitude system “ over the Adriatic ” refers, and was called “Institut für Meereskunde Trieste” from 1941-49 .

The institute currently has around 40 scientists, 80 technicians and 20 administrative staff. From the Trieste coast it moved to the neighboring municipality (34010) Sgonico , Borgo Grotta Gigante 42 / c not far from the famous Grotta Gigante .

Structure and research goals

After a reorganization in 1958, the observation station is now divided into the following 5 areas:

  • Marine geophysics
  • Gravity and magnetism
  • Geoelectrics and Geochemistry
  • radioactivity
  • Geothermal and ultrasound

The 1958 Reorganization Act defines objectives in particular

  • experimental geophysics to study applications in industry and agriculture, in communication and public administration
  • Exploration of the subsurface through geophysical outcrops
  • Editing of geophysical publications for scientific, practical and didactic purposes.

Research vessels and geoseismics

The institute owns the research vessels Laura Bassi and Explora . Laura Bassi , built in 1995, was acquired in 2019 with grants from the Italian Ministry of Education and Research to replace the research and supply ship Italica of the Italian Antarctic research program , which was decommissioned in 2017 . Like the Italica , the Laura Bassi also serves to supply the Italian Mario Zucchelli station on the Ross Sea . The Explora is a research ship with a gross tonnage of 1400. It was built especially for geophysical outcrops and equipped for measurements using geoseismics , gravimetry , thermals and geomagnetics .

The Institute for Seismic Research operates a detection network with 15 remote stations. The analyzes are carried out at the OGS data processing center with a Cray EL 98 mainframe computer and workstations - on the one hand for processing the seismic data, on the other hand for seismic process modeling and marine modeling.

Cooperations

A long-term research project on behalf of the National Antarctic Program (PNRA) is running in the Antarctic , for which the above-mentioned research vessels Laura Bassi and Explora are used.

Applied geophysics : Here the institute has specialized in the seismic exploration of the upper crust of the earth for hydrocarbons and ores and cooperates with the energy and raw materials industries , especially with ENEL and AGIP . There is also cooperation with CNR , ENEA , Norsk Hydro and several universities in Italy and Central Europe .

The institute participates in scientific R&D projects of the European Community - u. a. Joule , Thermie , Environment, Mast, Brite-Euram and on oceanography projects for the study of the Mediterranean , for environmental protection in the Adriatic and for marine technology.

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