Osservatorio
Geofisico Sperimentale is a research center sponsored by Italian Ministry
of University and Scientific Research (MURST), active in most of the geophysical
research fields, ranging from seismic surveys to seismology, oceanography
and environmental geophysics. The OGS permanent staff is formed by about
120 researchers and technicians, while the non permanent personnel ranges
from 40 to 60 people shared in three departments: Solid Earth Geophysics,
Oceanology and Environmental Geophysics, and Seismological Centre located
in Udine.
The Department
of Oceanology and Environmental Geophysics (DOGA) of OGS has a long experience
in oceanographic data acquisition and analysis. |
Several project
have been carried out both for private companies (AGIP, SNAMPROGETTI, ENEL)
and for research (CNR, EEC) dealing with current-meter mooring and CTD
surveys in Sicily Channel, Messina Strait and Adriatic Sea. Recently, the
Department has been involved in POEM (Physical Oceanography of The Eastern
Mediterranean) in collecting CTD data in the Levantine basin and Ionian
Sea. DOGA was also the co-ordinator of the MAST II/MTP subproject 'OTRANTO'
in which the aim was to quantify the exchange rates of water and particulate
matter through the Strait of Otranto.
Current measurements
and in situ temperature-salinity data analyses within the Italian national
projects PRISMA, phase 1 and 2 were carried out by the
DOGA Oceanography Group. DOGA is presently taking part in the EU programme
MAST III/MTP2, project MATER carrying out in situ measurements within the
framework of the Adriatico Deep Water formation experiment as well as ecological
modelling studies and data management. |
DOGA has also
experience in data analysis and interpretation having developed statistical
methods and software for particular purposes. Instrumentation available:
about 30 current-meters (NBA, EG&G acoustic and Anderaa), 3 ADCP self-recording,
1 ADCP ship-mounted, 2 CTDs (Neil Brown and Sea Bird both WOCE standard),
various laboratory instruments and calibration facilities. |
