Francesco Raffa

EDUCATION

• Born in Messina on 03/09/1972
• Degree in physics (Messina, 1998) with a thesis about waves polarization
• Technologist at CNR-IAMC since 2008

SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITY

Since 2002 he started with a fellowship and three annual contracts in operational oceanography the collaboration with the oceanography group of the Institute for Coastal Marine Environment (IAMC, Messina) of the National Research Council (CNR) as Research Assistant. He has got his background as physical oceanographer and he has gained a strong background in the analysis of oceanographic data (data processing, visualization and programming). He participated to a large number of oceanographic surveys and cruises (Adriatic, Ionian, Southern Tyrrhenian Seas).

Since 2008 has been dedicated to the consolidated monitoring techniques for systematic observation of environmental parameters, combining experimentation of observation and information acquisition techniques with real-time analysis of acquired data to use in simulation models. In particular, he has worked with IREA - CNR in Naples, with whom he has undertaken the development of innovative techniques for the estimation of sea surface currents or the wave motion reconstruction, obtained by analyse several sequences of images captured by an X-band nautical radar.

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY

Since 2012, he is referent for the implementation of the Italian coastal radar network as a monitoring system for critical sea areas in the following projects: "SSD - Fishing in the Regions of Southern Italy", RItMare Flagship Project with X-band Wave Radar and CALYPSO Project with HF Radar.

His research extends over a range of observational and theoretical topics in physical, operational and computational oceanography (monitoring in coastal marine environments, geostrophic flows calculation, thermohaline circulation of the sea, water mass analysis, relationships between small-scale mixing processes and temperature and salinity distributions; oceanographic data analysis; maintenance of oceanographic instrumentation) and specialization in a number of local marine areas (Ionian, Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Seas in Mediterranean). 

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

• Raffa, F; Ludeno, G; Patti, B; Soldovieri, F; Mazzola, S; Serafino, F; (2017): X-Band Wave Radar for Coastal Upwelling Detection off the Southern Coast of Sicily, Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology,34,1,21-31.

• Ludeno, Giovanni; Nasello, Carmelo; Raffa, Francesco; Ciraolo, Giuseppe; Soldovieri, Francesco; Serafino, Francesco; (2016): A comparison between drifter and X-band wave radar for sea surface current estimation, Remote Sensing,8,9,695, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute.

• Aliani, Stefano; Bortoluzzi, Giovanni; Caramanna, Giorgio; Raffa, Francesco; (2010), "Seawater dynamics and environmental settings after November 2002 gas eruption off Bottaro (Panarea, Aeolian Islands, Mediterranean Sea)", Continental Shelf Research,30,12,1338-1348, Elsevier.

• Azzaro, F; Decembrini, F; Raffa, F; Crisafi, E; (2007): Seasonal variability of phytoplankton fluorescence in relation to the Straits of Messina (Sicily) tidal upwelling, Ocean Science,4,3,415-440.