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

2. Western Ionian Scientific Relevance
Geo-hazards
Oceanography
Marine Biology

3. Earthquakes and Tsunamis
Geo-hazard
Earthquakes and Tsunamis
1454-XVI
XVI

4. 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
Strong earthquakes
1000 – 1992

5. Earthquake max intensity map
Geo-hazard
Earthquake max intensity map

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

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

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

9. 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.

10. 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

11. 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)

12. 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

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

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

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

16. 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.

17. SN1 geophysical and oceanographic station
Seismological data
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

18. Java
M = 7.4
Greece,
M = 4.3

19. 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 NEMO Project shows a unexpected high passage of sperm whales.

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

21. NEMO-SN1 Observatory layout
Dec. 2006

22. Funded by “REGIONE SICILIANA” (2006 -2008)
PROSPECTIVES
PEGASO Project
INGV and INFN partners
Funded by “REGIONE SICILIANA” ( )
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

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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