Stop in Iceland for the research ship Alliance

(To Marina Militare)
01/02/18

Today 1 February, the multi-purpose research ship Alliance entered the port of Reykjavik, Iceland, to carry out the first of the three stops scheduled during the research activities in support of the international organization Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) within the multidisciplinary program Iceland-Greenland Seas Project.

During the stop in the Icelandic capital to the ship's crew Alliance the WHOI team of researchers will join, taking part in the first navigation of about twenty-three days.

During this period in the sea strait that separates Iceland from the east coast of Greenland, the researchers will perform prompt and in-depth measurements of the parameters of electrical conductivity, temperature, depth, geochemical analysis and speed of sound in water, bati-thermographic surveys, measurements bathymetry and meteorological measurements (marine and aerial), making the correlation and the statistical collection of the acquired data.

The main purpose of the expedition is the study of the air / water interaction and the related ventilation that is created in the Arctic Sea, with the aim of achieving a better understanding of the circulation of marine currents.

Ship Alliance last January 17 started from La Spezia under the command of the frigate captain Daniele Cantù, has a crew composed of 47 military and embarks, for the occasion, a research group consisting of 22 scientists from different international organizations.

Responsible for the scientific mission is Dr. Robert Pickart, WHOI scientist, assisted by the head of the Navy mission, the captain of vessel Massimiliano Nannini.

Two scientific teams will alternate during the mission: the team embarked in Reykjavik will be replaced by another team, during the stop in Isafjordur, Iceland, scheduled during the end of February while the return to Italy at the end of the mission is scheduled for April 2018.