Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Italy East Sicily Paolo Favali Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Italy

Western Ionian Scientific Relevance Geo-hazards Oceanography Marine Biology

Earthquakes and Tsunamis Geo-hazard Earthquakes and Tsunamis 1454-XVI XVI - 1713 1714-1814 1815-1859 1860-1917 1918-1990

INGV Seismological Instrumental Catalogue 1169 1693 1908 1990 1818 M= 7.0 M= 5.0 M= 3.0 Magnitude Geo-hazard INGV Seismological Instrumental Catalogue 1975 - 2001 Strong earthquakes 1000 – 1992

Earthquake max intensity map Geo-hazard Earthquake max intensity map

22 events (33% of the total italian tsunamis) 8 Aeolian Islands 2 Sicily Channel 4 Northern Sicily 1908 2 Messina Strait 6 Eastern Sicily 1169 - 1693 Tsunamis in Sicily 22 events (33% of the total italian tsunamis)

Geo-hazards Sharp topographic gradient: The Malta Escarpment landslides Sharp topographic gradient: The Malta Escarpment ETNA volcano

Oceanography Western Ionian involved in water mass exchange with Tyrrhenian basin Relevant site for the exchange of water masses between Eastern and Western Mediterranean

Marine Biology Key area for studying the seasonal movements of whales and sperm whales within the Mediterranean basin. (along with the Sicily channel and the Strait of Gibraltar) It can be considered a "whale gate" where to count animals moving among the western and eastern Mediterranean Sea. The area is characterized by deep waters with a steep continental shelf, potential habitat for Cuvier's beaked whales, deep divers very sensitive to anthropogenic noise.

SN-1: a GEOSTAR-class observatory Pilot experiment: October ’02 - May ‘03 (>130 days; >12 Gbyte data) Coordinates: 37° 26,533’ N, 15° 23,587’ E Depth: 2105 m

SN-1 Background seismic noise During and after Etna eruption Infra-gravity waves noise notch Micro- seismic band Short period Pressure Waves (wind) SN-1 Background seismic noise Z SN1 (black) VAE (grey) Before Etna eruption During and after Etna eruption Monna et al., GRL, 2005 Noise in high and low sea current velocity (N-S component)

Contribution to the seismicity knowledge earthquakes recorded only by SN-1 Tyrrhenian Sea Deep Ionian Basin Etna Calabria Malta Escarpement Ionian Sea SN-1 Sgroi et al., Geophys. J. Int. 2007

NEMO-SN1 Observatory layout Agreement between INFN (owner of the underwater cable) and INGV - 2001

Deployment of OƲDE and SN1 25 January 2005 Deployment of OƲDE and SN1 2060 m w.d. Hydrophones Electronics Cable-ship Pertinacia, Elettra Tlc.

Ocean noise Detection Experiment ODE Ocean noise Detection Experiment OnDE was deployed on Jan 23, 2005 Cable Layer Vessel Pertinacia

NEMO-SN1 sensors Sensor Sampling rate Three-component broad-band seismometer 100Hz Hydrophone (geophysics) 100 Hz Hydrophones (bio-acoustics) 96 KHz Gravity meter 1 Hz Scalar magnetometer 1 sample every 10 min. Three-axes single-point current meter 2Hz CTD 1 sample every 12 min.

SN1 geophysical and oceanographic station Seismological data 2005-2006 Map of epicentres of regional and local earthquakes localised by the land seismological network and SN1 data jointly. blue circles ≤ M 2, 2 < green circles ≤ M 3, 3 < yellow circles ≤ M 4, 4< red circles

Java 08.08.2007 M = 7.4 Greece, 28.08.2007 M = 4.3

The OnDE station (2005-2006) (INFN-Univ. Pavia) Study of the underwater acoustic environment to develop the strategies required for the detection of acoustic pulses generated by high energy neutrinos interacting with nuclei in seawater. % of slots with sperm whale sounds per day Daily acoustic contacts with sperm whales in the period September-December 2005. NEMO Project shows a unexpected high passage of sperm whales.

European Seafloor Observatory NETwork Artic GOALS: Geohazards Global change Biodiversity Norwegian Margin Nordic Sea ESONET EC Concerted Action (2002-2004) EC Network of Excellence (2007-2011) Porcupine Ligurian Sea Black Sea Azorre Hellenic Eastern Sicily Hyberian Margin 10 Key-sites

NEMO-SN1 Observatory layout Dec. 2006

Funded by “REGIONE SICILIANA” (2006 -2008) PROSPECTIVES PEGASO Project INGV and INFN partners Funded by “REGIONE SICILIANA” (2006 -2008) OBJECTIVES: To develop seafloor modules for environmental and geo-hazard monitoring B) To build an hybrid underwater system for the deployment, recovery and connection of complex mechanical deep-sea structures

PEGASO Project ORION-4 GMM Develop a set of small-size seafloor ‘portable’ modules for specific environmental and geo-hazard monitoring equipped with various communication systems

Deep-sea Shuttle operations PEGASO Project Deep-sea Shuttle main characteristics Cable length: 4000 m Max. operating depth: 3500 m Max. payload: 30 kN Deep-sea Shuttle operations Deployment and recovery of underwater modules (e.g., SN-1 type, junction boxes, NEMO towers) Tender on-going

PEGASO Project ROV main characteristics Umbilical Cable length (> 150 m) Max. operating depth: 4000 m ROV operations Inspection, carrying payload and connection/disconnection of underwater connectors Tender assigned

Thanks to the PEGASO system development, the NEMO-SN1 site will increase its capabilities to be an “open laboratory”, cabled node of ESONET-EMSO INFN has undertaken the preparatory phase for the realisation of an infrastructure at the Capo Passero site dedicated to the installation of the km-cube-telescope: 100 km cable down to 3500 m w.d., (deployed July 2007) a shore station