The results of the Marine Geophysics Campaign in the Arctic were presented today in Rome, at the Navy StaffHigh North 2017". Held aboard the Alliance ship in the waters of the Svalbard Islands and under the scientific coordination of Professor Roberta Ivaldi and technical-logistic of the frigate captain Maurizio Demarte, of the Hydrographic Institute, the Campaign represented a philosophy of integration and synergy between the research, making it possible to achieve the objectives set while maintaining individual specificities.
11 uninterrupted days of activity. 25 the researchers employed. A unique multidisciplinary project that has seen geophysics, oceanography, marine geology and hydrography develop in 5 areas south of the Svalbard archipelago. Several activities have been carried out, including the high resolution hydrographic survey of unexplored seabed areas; 65 measuring stations for the nature of the seabed and the substrate; oceanographic measurements with autonomous underwater vehicles; continuous acquisition, along the routes, of solar radiation data in the atmosphere and finally maintenance, recovery and subsequent repositioning of a water column monitoring station.
A campaign that allowed the Navy and the Hydrographic Institute to resume scientific research in the Arctic and to reach concrete results that, by the voice of the scientific coordinator, exceeded the planned program by 30%. Results that were illustrated by the Director of the Navy Hydrographic Institute, commander Luigi Sinapi who stated: "The result that best summarizes High North 2017 is the new mapping of unexplored bottom areas. These data are also indispensable for updating the nautical cartography of the area and improving the safety of navigation in the Arctic. Furthermore, for the first time, we intercepted one bottom current of dense and salt water which surely conditions the circulation of water masses and consequently the environmental characteristics. This may be the subject of future in-depth research, both on past climatic changes and present modeling and future dynamics forecasts".
The data collected will populate the ocean bathymetric map data bank and support Italy's important role in the Arctic Regional Hydrographic Commission (ARHC), as a new associated country, an important position in Arctic geo-strategy.
"A Campaign that confirms the capacity of the Navy, through its articulation of excellence in the hydro-oceanographic sector, to conduct and coordinate scientifically a polar research campaign at sea, integrated, synergistic, multidisciplinary and multi-sectoralSaid the Navy Chief of Staff, Admiral Valter Girardelli.
Also present at the conference were the Chief of Defense Staff, General Claudio Graziano who said: "The Navy Campaign in Arctic is an activity that has many implications, first of all to highlight the dual capacity of the Armed Forces, that is those abilities inherent in the security and defense system of the Country, and that can be used both on the occasion of natural disasters and for security, up to the scientific activity. Ability to preserve the Armed Forces that can be put at the service of the community".
Present, among others, the plenipotentiary minister and president of the Arctic Table, Dr. Carmine Robustelli, and representatives of national research bodies: CNR (National Research Council), OGS (National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics) and ENEA (National Agency for the new technologies, energy and sustainable economic development) that participated in the campaign, in addition to the CMRE (Center for Maritime Research and Experimentation) of NATO.
