Meeting between the Italian Air Force and the University of Messina at the Messina Meteorological Station
Date: 26 January 2022Location: Italian Air Force Meteorological Station, Messina
Description
During the morning of 26/01/2022, an official meeting took place at the Italian Air Force Meteorological Station located in Viale Regina Margherita, Messina.
Representatives of the Italian Air Force attended the meeting, including the Commander of the 41st Anti-Submarine Wing and Sigonella Airport, Col. Pil. Howard Lee Rivera, Lt. Col. Francesco Messina, Lt. Col. Franco Colombo, Sgt. Giovanni Capodivento, Sgt. Renato Cancelliere and other Air Force officials.
Representing the University of Messina were Prof. Salvatore Magazù, coordinator of the Environmental Physics research group operating within the Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences, Physical Sciences and Earth Sciences (MIFT) and President of CISFA, Prof. Luigia Puccio, Prof. Antonio Teramo, Prof. Fabio Todesco, Prof. Maria Teresa Caccamo, Dr. Domenica De Domenico, and Dr. Giuseppe Castorina, Dr. Antonino Marino and Dr. Agostino Semprebello.
Given the broad convergence of objectives and the complementarity of the approaches and data available to the two institutions, the purpose of the meeting was to discuss and prepare a collaboration agreement between the two entities, also in relation to the logistical proximity between the Messina Air Force Meteorological Station and the Seismological Observatory of the University of Messina, where environmental monitoring activities of scientific and applied interest are carried out and considered strategic for the entire regional territory.
In particular, discussions focused on the use of high spatial and temporal resolution modeling chains specifically optimized for the Sicilian regional territory, on high-altitude transport and ground deposition of volcanic ash emitted into the atmosphere following paroxysmal events recorded in Sicilian volcanic districts.
Furthermore, the Sicilian territory hosts several civil and military airports, including Falcone Borsellino Airport in Palermo, Fontanarossa Airport in Catania, Sigonella, Trapani Birgi and Comiso airports, as well as airports in the Calabria region (i.e. Lamezia Terme and Reggio Calabria), all potentially affected by volcanic ash emitted during eruptions of Mount Etna and Stromboli.
In this regard, the presence of volcanic ash along aircraft flight routes and its deposition on airport infrastructures may cause disruptions to flights and facilities and, in some cases, lead to airport closures. Therefore, it is essential to provide useful information for air traffic control in order to mitigate the risk of aircraft encountering volcanic clouds during flight operations and take-off/landing phases.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Commander of the 41st Anti-Submarine Wing and Sigonella Airport, Col. Pil. Howard Lee Rivera, presented Prof. Salvatore Magazù with the 2022 Italian Air Force Calendar, part of the initiative leading to the celebration of the Italian Air Force’s first one hundred years on 28 March 2023.
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