{"id":6973,"date":"2025-12-03T11:54:51","date_gmt":"2025-12-03T10:54:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2igg.cnr.it\/?page_id=6973"},"modified":"2026-04-01T10:12:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T08:12:10","slug":"osservatorio-critical-zone-etna","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.igg.cnr.it\/en\/osservatorio-critical-zone-etna\/","title":{"rendered":"Etna Critical Zone Observatory"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p style=\"border-radius:8px\">In volcanic environments, endogenous heat and gas fluxes combine with those produced by biological processes, generating complex and often poorly understood ecosystem dynamics.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>Studying how fluxes of gas, water, nutrients, and volcanic materials interact in the portion of the Earth's surface known as <em>Critical Zone<\/em> allows us to better understand ecosystems' response to the natural stresses induced by volcanic activity.&nbsp;<br>With this objective, at the Etna IGG Observatory, activities focus on the continuous acquisition of flux data regarding:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>the flow of CO<sub>2<\/sub> and water from the soil to the atmosphere,&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>the temperature and humidity of the air and soil,&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>the speed and intensity of the wind in the three spatial directions&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These measurements are complemented by timely analyses of atmospheric particulate matter and surveys conducted using UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles).<br>Sharing scientific results with other research institutions and stakeholders is the foundation of the IGG Etna Observatory's transdisciplinary activities. For this reason, the collected data is organized in a data <em>repository<\/em>, successivamente trasferito in ambienti VRE (<em>Virtual Research Environment<\/em>) environments, where they can be consulted and processed in an integrated manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Goals<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Creating an<strong> <\/strong>observatory to study the <em>Critical Zone<\/em> on Etna&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Evaluate the balance of carbon fluxes between biological components (soil-vegetation ecosystem) and volcanic component&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Contribute to the strengthening of the Italian Research Infrastructure for Geosciences (GRINT), integrated into the European EPOS (European Plate Observing System) framework.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Instrumentation and activities<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fixed installations for the measurement of fluxes at the soil-atmosphere interface:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Eddy Covariance for measuring ecosystem net fluxes of CO\u2082 and H\u2082O (37\u00b043'58.34''N; 15\u00b05'18.33''E)&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fixed accumulation chambers (WSS-2001 and WSS-2003) for measurements of CO\u2082 fluxes from soil (37\u00b043'57.252''N; 15\u00b005'19.22''E; 37\u00b043'49.17''N; 15\u00b005'19.2''E).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Mobile instrumentation for measuring ecosystem fluxes at the soil-atmosphere interface:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mobile accumulation chamber for measuring diffuse CO2 emissions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Other activities<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Analysis of atmospheric particulate matter to identify the chemical-physical nature of materials (at the Eddy Covariance website)&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>UAV surveys<strong> (<\/strong>RGB, Multispectral, Thermal and Lidar for 3D and thermal maps) to map soil and vegetation and identify thermal anomalies&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Integration of IGG activities with other research institutions active on Etna&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ongoing activities<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Periodic flow measurement campaigns (Eddy Covariance and accumulation chambers)&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Data collection and instrument calibration&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Interpretative analyses for carbon balances and volcano\u2013ecosystem interactions&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Monitoring and detection of flow anomalies&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-essential-blocks-infobox  root-eb-infobox-jfluz\"><div class=\"eb-parent-wrapper eb-parent-eb-infobox-jfluz\"><div class=\"eb-infobox-jfluz eb-infobox-wrapper\"><div class=\"infobox-wrapper-inner\"><div class=\"icon-img-wrapper\"><div class=\"eb-icon number-or-icon\"><i icon=\"fas fa-link\" class=\"fas fa-link eb-infobox-icon-data-selector\"><\/i><\/div><\/div><div class=\"contents-wrapper\"><h6 class=\"title\"><strong>Partnership<\/strong><br>INGV Catania (National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology)\u00a0<br>Regional Department of Rural and Territorial Development\u00a0<br>West System-ORISHA<br>University of Palermo\u00a0\u00a0<br>University of Messina\u00a0<br>CNR-IPCF (Institute for Chemical-Physical Processes)\u00a0\u00a0<br>CNR-ITAE (Institute of Advanced Technologies for Energy)<strong><br><\/strong><br><\/h6><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:40%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.igg.cnr.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/mount-etna-1024x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8266\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.igg.cnr.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/mount-etna-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.igg.cnr.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/mount-etna-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.igg.cnr.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/mount-etna-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.igg.cnr.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/mount-etna-768x769.png 768w, https:\/\/www.igg.cnr.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/mount-etna-1534x1536.png 1534w, https:\/\/www.igg.cnr.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/mount-etna.png 1726w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-essential-blocks-infobox  root-eb-infobox-8dc77\"><div class=\"eb-parent-wrapper eb-parent-eb-infobox-8dc77\"><div class=\"eb-infobox-8dc77 eb-infobox-wrapper\"><div class=\"infobox-wrapper-inner\"><div class=\"icon-img-wrapper\"><div class=\"eb-icon number-or-icon\"><i icon=\"fas fa-user\" class=\"fas fa-user eb-infobox-icon-data-selector\"><\/i><\/div><\/div><div class=\"contents-wrapper\"><h6 class=\"title\"><strong>Responsible:<br><\/strong>Maddalena Pennisi<br>Ilaria Baneschi <br>Gianna Vivaldo<br><\/h6><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-essential-blocks-infobox  root-eb-infobox-pp9sl\"><div class=\"eb-parent-wrapper eb-parent-eb-infobox-pp9sl\"><div class=\"eb-infobox-pp9sl eb-infobox-wrapper\"><div class=\"infobox-wrapper-inner\"><div class=\"icon-img-wrapper\"><div class=\"eb-icon number-or-icon\"><i icon=\"fas fa-envelope\" class=\"fas fa-envelope eb-infobox-icon-data-selector\"><\/i><\/div><\/div><div class=\"contents-wrapper\"><h6 class=\"title\"><strong>Contacts<br><\/strong>maddalena.pennisi@cnr.it<br>ilaria.baneschi@cnr.it<br>gianna.vivaldo@cnr.it<strong><br><\/strong><\/h6><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-essential-blocks-infobox  root-eb-infobox-axng4\"><div class=\"eb-parent-wrapper eb-parent-eb-infobox-axng4\"><div class=\"eb-infobox-axng4 eb-infobox-wrapper\"><div class=\"infobox-wrapper-inner\"><div class=\"icon-img-wrapper\"><div class=\"eb-icon number-or-icon\"><i icon=\"far fa-address-card\" class=\"far fa-address-card eb-infobox-icon-data-selector\"><\/i><\/div><\/div><div class=\"contents-wrapper\"><h6 class=\"title\"><strong>Related Staff<br><\/strong>Assunta Donato<br>Brunella Raco<br>Matteo Lelli<br>Letizia Costanza<br>Andrea Berton<\/h6><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nel contesto vulcanico, i flussi di calore e gas di origine endogena si combinano con quelli prodotti dai processi biologici, generando dinamiche ecosistemiche complesse e spesso ancora poco conosciute.&nbsp;&nbsp;Studiare come i flussi di gas, acqua, nutrienti e i materiali vulcanici interagiscono in quella porzione della superficie terrestre definita come Critical Zone consente di comprendere meglio&hellip;&nbsp;<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9710,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"folder":[36],"class_list":["post-6973","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.igg.cnr.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6973","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.igg.cnr.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.igg.cnr.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.igg.cnr.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.igg.cnr.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6973"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.igg.cnr.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6973\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11931,"href":"https:\/\/www.igg.cnr.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6973\/revisions\/11931"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.igg.cnr.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9710"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.igg.cnr.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.igg.cnr.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/folder?post=6973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}