GRINT – Geoscience Research INfracstructure of ITaly
The PON project "Italian Research Infrastructure for Geosciences" (Geoscience Research INfrastructure of ITaly; GRINT) has the general objective of strengthening the structures, resources, and services associated with the implementation plan of the European Research Infrastructure (RI) European Plate Observing System (EPOS) and of defining possible expansions of the offering of data, products, and services, with particular reference to less developed regions (Campania, Calabria, Puglia, and Sicily) or regions in transition (Abruzzo, Molise, and Sardinia).
The scientific objective of the PON project is to improve the quality and access to RI data, products, and services, to promote better research on the seismogenic and volcanic processes that characterize southern Italy, on seismic and volcanic hazard, and on the geology and dynamics of the central-southern Apennine area. The infrastructure construction project will last 48 months, beginning in June 2019.
As part of the PON-GRINT project, the Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources of Pisa has received funding to create a monitoring network consisting of an Eddy Covariance station to measure net ecosystem fluxes of CO2 and H2O , two fixed storage chambers, and a mobile storage chamber to measure CO2 emissions from the soil. These infrastructures form the first nucleus of an Observatory for the study of the Etna Critical Zone which will allow for a balance between volcanic and biological carbon fluxes and to assess the impact of volcanic emissions on the soil-vegetation ecosystem.
The new Etna site is part of the IGG-CNR observatories in remote environments (https://www.igg.cnr.it/laboratori/misure-in-campo/laboratorio-di-flussi-biogeochimiciThe location of the fixed-site instrumentation was determined following site inspections and measurement campaigns with the mobile accumulation chamber. The selected sites are all located in the Piano Bello area, Milo (Catania).
To support the research activities, IGG received a grant from the PNIR project "Strengthening the Human Capital of Research Infrastructures" (CIR01_00013), awarded to Simone D'Incecco (August 1, 2021-August 1, 2022).
All activities are carried out in collaboration with the Etna Park Authority, the Regional Department of Rural and Territorial Development of Catania, and the INGV.