While monitoring networks and observatories provide us with a constant stream of data on what is happening on our planet, Laboratories are the infrastructures where the scientific community investigates the why. They represent the core of experimental and analytical research, places where geological samples are studied in detail and natural processes are reproduced under controlled conditions to understand their fundamental mechanisms.
These facilities generate high-value base data (DPL 0-1), which are essential for interpreting observations acquired in the field, calibrating numerical models, and validating scientific hypotheses.
The ILGE Network: an integrated system of excellence
The PNRR MEET project has promoted the integration and enhancement of dozens of excellent Italian laboratories within the ILGE (Integrated Laboratories for Geosciences and Environment) network. This federated network brings together advanced expertise and instrumentation in a wide range of Earth Science disciplines, including:
-
Geochemistry and Petrology: for the analysis of the chemical and isotopic composition of rocks, fluids, and gases.
-
Rock and Magma Physics: to measure the physical properties of geomaterials under high pressure and temperature conditions.
-
Paleomagnetism: for the study of the Earth's past magnetic field as recorded in rocks.
-
Analogue Modeling and Experimental Tectonics: to simulate the deformation processes of the Earth's crust on a reduced scale.
-
Sedimentology and Paleoclimatology: for the analysis of sediment cores to reconstruct the geological and climatic history of our planet.
- Seismology: for site-effect studies and geophysical surveys in the Italian territory.
An open infrastructure for the Scientific Community
One of the main goals of the ILGE network is to be an open infrastructure, accessible to the entire national and international scientific community. Through competitive calls for TNA (Trans-National Access) and NOA (National Open Access), researchers can propose their projects and have the opportunity to use state-of-the-art instrumentation and collaborate with the highly specialized staff of the laboratories.
This openness fosters collaboration, promotes innovation, and ensures the optimal use of high-level technological resources, maximizing the scientific return on investment.
The experimental and analytical data produced by the laboratories, accessible via IPSES, are the foundation upon which countless higher-level scientific products (DPL 2-3) are built, from scientific publications to hazard models, contributing decisively to the advancement of knowledge.