Systematic Magnetic Observations in Italy

Abstract

Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) is responsible for systematic magnetic observations in Italy made in observatories and repeat stations. At present, two regularly working geomagnetic observatories cover central and northern Italy: L’Aquila (the main Italian observatory since 1958) and Castello Tesino (since 1964). A new observatory is, at the moment, being installed in the southern Mediterranean (near Sicily) at Lampedusa Island. Once this installation is successfully completed, the three observatories will be able to provide a full coverage of the whole Italian latitudinal extension. A network of magnetic repeat stations is regularly distributed across Italy and measurements in some locations have been made for more than a century. Since the end of the 1970’s, INGV has been developing a modern repeat station network used for the compilation of the Italian magnetic maps. The most recent survey was made between 2004 and 2005 using L’Aquila Observatory as reference.