The way RIs can enhance their fruitful impacts on local communities from both social and economic perspectives, cannot be measured by scientific publications, while rather on the concrete implications achieved on territorial stakeholders through improving their policies and procedures focused on fulfilling peoples’ real needs (Russo, 2025a).
One of these policies in the framework of the...
Semantic interoperability is crucial for the accurate interpretation of digital resources in environmental sciences. The variety of data and digital objects produced and shared across disciplines necessitates open and shared semantic artefacts and services for the integration and reuse of digital objects. While semantic artefacts define domain-specific concepts, semantic services support their...
The ITINERIS–ACTRIS Pilot Access Program introduced, for the first time in Italy and the EU, a coordinated and nationally funded scheme for access to ACTRIS facilities. The initiative allowed international scientists to use advanced Italian platforms within ACTRIS and supported Italian researchers in accessing ACTRIS facilities across Europe and beyond, fostering scientific exchange and...
The adoption of shared and technologically advanced FAIR practices among digital Research Infrastructures (RIs) is crucial for efficient collection, dissemination, and reuse of scientific data and digital objects. Within this framework, the ITINERIS research infrastructure was designed as the central HUB for accessing Italian digital resources of the environmental domain. However, knowledge of...
Understanding environmental challenges requires navigating a complex network of interconnected systems, where Research Infrastructures (RIs) play a key role in integrating observations, data, and services to develop actionable strategies for understanding and predicting the Earth’s system. In this multifaceted environmental research domain, it is crucial to harmonize multi-source datasets...
The ITINERIS User Strategy establishes a comprehensive and integrated framework to improve accessibility, usability, and impact across Italian environmental Research Infrastructures (RIs). Bringing together 22 national nodes operating in the atmospheric, marine, terrestrial, and geosphere domains, ITINERIS is designed to deliver coordinated and interoperable services to a diversified user...
Tumors can be described as evolving ecosystems, where cancer cells act as invasive species that increase their fitness compared to non-tumoral cells. In this framework, ecological fitness refers to the ability of tumor cells to survive, proliferate, evolve within the TME, and adapt to selective pressures. One of the most aggressive and early metastatic neoplasia is the pancreatic ductal...
This study aims to analyze thermal comfort in a selected area of Lecce, a typical Mediterranean city, using a modelling approach to evaluate the microclimatic mitigation effects of urban greenery. The study involves the use of ENVI-met, a CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) microclimatic model to reproduce the physical and thermal behavior of urban spaces. It accounts for surface...
This study investigates the potential for automated discrimination between volcanic ash and desert dust aerosols using AERONET (Aerosol Robotic Network) sun photometer data, in support of EARLINET (European Aerosol Research Lidar Network) lidar measurements. The motivation stems from the challenge that both ash and dust exhibit similar optical signatures in atmospheric lidar signals, in fact...
ChAMBRe (Chamber for Aerosol Modelling and Bio-aerosol Research) is an atmospheric simulation chamber (ASC) managed by the Genoa division of INFN at the Department of Physics of the University of Genoa. The ASC is characterized by a high versatility of applications, due to the wide range of instruments that can be connected. Several examples of these applications will be presented at the...
Black carbon (BC) is a key short-lived climate forcer, with atmospheric concentrations influenced by both emissions and meteorological processes. In the Mediterranean—where climate change and air quality challenges intersect—understanding the drivers of BC trends is critical. This study investigates whether *observed BC reductions are solely due to air pollution control policies or if emerging...
Since 1993, atmospheric aerosol studies based on multi-wavelength Raman lidar observations have been one of the core research activities at the CNR-IMAA Atmospheric Observatory (CIAO). Over the years, the observatory has significantly contributed to the understanding of various aerosol types, including mineral dust, biomass burning aerosol, and volcanic ash, and their role in atmospheric...
For the first time, we present the results obtained from an innovative instrument purchased with the support of the ITINERIS project within the European Research Infrastructure Consortium – Aerosols, Clouds, and Trace gas Research InfraStructure (ERIC-ACTRIS). Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) techniques have proven to be a highly reliable tool for studying both the atmospheric domain, with...
This study focuses on the elemental characterization of atmospheric particulate matter (PM), a key aspect in identifying pollution sources due to PM's harmful effects on human health.
The research compares data from two ED-XRF systems: an online Xact® 625i, which uses Teflon tape and provides near real-time PM₁₀ data every 3 hours at the Environmental-Climate Observatory (ECO), and an...
The Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) is the atmospheric layer where most mixing of aerosols and gases occurs. Understanding its dynamics is crucial to interpret ground-level pollutant variability. This study combines remote sensing and in-situ measurements to investigate the interplay between emissions and atmospheric dilution, focusing on Milan during the year 2023 (Po Valley), one of Europe’s...
Carbonaceous aerosols represent a significant component of atmospheric aerosol. Among them, the equivalent black carbon (eBC), identified as the result of optical determination of the carbon content in the atmospheric aerosol (PM), has become a serious concern because of its detrimental impact on human health, and because it is regarded as the second most major contributor to global warming...
New particle formation (NPF) plays a critical role in the atmospheric aerosol population, influencing both climate and human health (Lai, 2024). Understanding the driving mechanisms behind this process is essential for accurately assessing the anthropogenic impact on our planet.
Several studies have recently pointed out the crucial role covered by RO2-RO2 interactions and their contribution...
Heatwaves, often associated with quasi-stationary anticyclones, can be locally mitigated by coastal land-sea breeze circulations. To investigate this mechanism, the MESSA-DIN (MEditerranean Sea Salt And Dust Ice Nuclei) campaign was carried out by CNR-IMAA in Soverato (Southern Italy, 38°41′16′′N 16°33′00′′E) from June to November 2021. Ground-based remote sensing instrumentation, including a...
A new atmospheric station dedicated to the observation of greenhouse gases has recently been implemented at the CNR-IMAA Atmospheric Observatory (CIAO). The station, called POT, is part of the Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) Research Infrastructure and provides continuous measurements of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) atmospheric concentrations.
Thanks to the ITINERIS...
The steady expansion of the aviation sector, a pillar of global connectivity, demands growing attention to its environmental footprint, particularly with regard to air quality.1 While exhaust gas emissions have been extensively investigated, non-exhaust sources such as tire wear particles (TWPs) remain comparatively underexplored.2 These particles constitute a major source of microplastics and...
Atmospheric submicron aerosols have long been studied due to their impact on climate, ecosystems, and human health. Organic Aerosol (OA), the predominant constituent of PM₁ mass, can be directly emitted (Primary OA, POA) or formed through atmospheric processes (Secondary OA, SOA). Understanding the evolution and oxidation of OA during atmospheric transport is a key research focus.
This...
The CNR-IMAA Atmospheric Observatory (CIAO), located in Potenza, Southern Italy, has recently enhanced its observational capabilities with the implementation of a state-of-the-art aerosol in-situ facility (Laurita et al., 2025), made possible also thanks to the ITINERIS project. This new component complements CIAO’s remote sensing infrastructure, providing continuous, high-quality ground-level...
The study of thermodynamical variables, such as temperature and relative humidity in the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere (UT/LS), is one of the key elements for understanding climate change. Several studies estimated trends both regionally and globally in the UT/LS, using both satellite and ground-based data and different measurement techniques. However, the accuracy and spatial-temporal...
Within the ITINERIS project (WP 4 – Atmosphere), significant progress has been made in upgrading the OGS PA-34 Seneca III research aircraft to host advanced aerosol and meteorological instrumentation, compliant with ACTRIS standards. The activity focused on the procurement, calibration, and integration design of a comprehensive payload, including an isokinetic sampling inlet, a microphysical...
Climate change in the Mediterranean region raises serious concerns about the role of open vegetation fires in the climate-altering species. This study reviews current methodologies for quantifying greenhouse gas and black carbon emissions from open vegetation fires and examines the data provided by four state-of-the-art inventories of carbon dioxide (CO2), me-thane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O)...
The main objective of this project was to assess the reliability and suitability of Pylon detector (TEL model) Rn analyser for scientific applications, particularly in complex mountain environments. This evaluation was carried out within the ITINERIS TNA Access, with the specific goal of testing the performance of the Pylon detector coupled with the Radon Mapper Monitor developed by...
Open fires represent one of the most influent events on ecosystems, climate, and human health. Their study is a challenging research topic, set to lead to a better understanding of their impact.
The ITINERIS project allowed us to empower and strengthen the observation capability of the main chemical-physical parameters involved in open fire events, via the implementation of new instruments...
The volcanic aerosol plume following the paroxysmal event of Mount Etna on 2nd June 2025 was detected and characterized in the Mediterranean area of Naples city (Italy), together with transported Saharan dust, using remote sensing and satellite observations in combination with back-trajectory and dispersion model simulations.
Lidar profiles obtained using an Elastic/Raman system of the...
ITINERIS’ EYES is an inter-disciplinary research cruise designed to tackle the health of Mediterranean planktonic ecosystems, and improve their predictability, through multi-platform experiments acquiring several ocean, climate and biodiversity Essential Variables (EVs). The approach of ITINERIS’ EYES is to leverage on the technological contribution of 11 European and national Research...
In the framework of ITINERIS, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud (LNS) of Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) is leading the implementation of the Ocean Sound Subsystem (OS-SS), part of the ITalian Integrated Ocean Observing System (IT-IOOS), will establish for the first time a national-level integrated platform with standardized procedures, guidelines, and tools for collecting, analyzing,...
The ocean regulates Earth’s climate, sustains biodiversity, and supports key human activities such as fisheries, transport, and coastal economies. Monitoring these complex systems requires continuous and reliable observations of “Essential Ocean Variables” (EOVs). Marine gliders—autonomous vehicles that move by changing buoyancy—are increasingly used to collect EOV data due to several...
eLTER-RI is a pan-European in-situ Research Infrastructure whose mission is to study long-term ecological changes in terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and transitional ecosystems through a holistic “whole system” approach, based on the integration of different environmental disciplines, to understand the role and interactions of multiple and complex ecosystem variables. The Italian network,...
This study investigates the physical-chemical and biogeochemical dynamics of the Marano and Grado Lagoon (northern Italy) using a combination of observational data and simulations from the coupled SHYFEM-BFM model. A data assimilation approach is applied to integrate monitoring information into the model, improving the representation of lagoon processes. Model outputs are validated against in...
The Institute of Polar Sciences (ISP) of the Italian National Research Council (CNR) actively contributes to the overall goals of the Global Ocean Observing System Italy by participating in the Svalbard Integrated Observing System (SIOS) through the national marine infrastructure in the Arctic region. This infrastructure consists of four moorings positioned at various coastal and offshore...
Zooplankton plays a fundamental role in marine food webs and biogeochemical cycles. However, its diversity and dynamics remain challenging to assess, primarily due to the high taxonomic complexity and pronounced spatial-temporal variability of planktonic communities.
Traditional methodologies, based on plankton net sampling and stereomicroscopic identification are the standard approach for...
Italy is actively involved, through the promotion and guidance of marine research infrastructures (RIs), to contribute to the European strategy for ocean observation and the ESFRI roadmap. Each RI works autonomously and independently of the others, defining its own rules for access to data and services. This makes access to national marine data complex and fragmented. It is in this panorama...
Within Work Package 5, Activity 5.20 is dedicated to demonstrating the advantages of cross-infrastructure data integration, combining both Eulerian and Lagrangian observations to generate a comprehensive spatial and temporal overview of key ocean variables. By merging datasets such as temperature, salinity, and oxygen from multiple research infrastructures (including stand-alone moorings,...
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a growing global threat with significant implications for both human and veterinary health. Among the microorganisms commonly associated with AMR, Enterococcus spp. play a relevant role. As commensals of the gastrointestinal tract in humans and animals, they are known for their ability to acquire and transfer resistance genes, thus contributing to the...
This work proposes frameworks to improve vegetation monitoring using airborne and satellite remote sensing imagery. Remote sensing enables rapid, georeferenced assessments of crops and ecosystems based on the spectral properties of canopy components. However, traditional approaches, such as vegetation indices rely on empirical methods that use few spectral bands, limiting their ability to...
The restoration of fragile Mediterranean ecosystems is crucial to maintaining biodiversity and ecological stability. Deciduous oak forests are experiencing severe decline due to climate change, oak dieback, and low natural regeneration rates. Among environmental drivers, radiation is one of the most important meteorological variables measured in terrestrial ecosystems, as it regulates...
Biostimulants are emerging as sustainable strategies to improve crop tolerance to drought. We investigated the effects of two plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) strains cable of modulating plant stress hormones: Serratia odorifera, a producer of 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-Carboxylate (ACC)-deaminase that inhibits stress-induced ethylene formation, and Pseudomonas sp., a producer of...
Within the DiSSCo infrastructure and ITINERIS project, two reference benthic foraminiferal (BF) collections from the Institute of Marine Science have been harmonized and digitized: the Linosa Sicily Channel Collection (LiCSiC) and the North Adriatic Foraminifera Collection (NAdFC). As BF are key bioindicators, these collections with their FAIR digital datasets, serve as valuable...
The ITINERIS project (WP6 6.4 activity) supported DiSSCo’s vision by prioritising digitisation of Natural History Collections to enable access to biodiversity data.
The resources were primarily allocated to infrastructural works and acquisition of equipment to carry out and support digitisation activities. Three fixed-term technicians were hired to handle the digitisation of both zoological...
The research focuses on the investigation on how climatic and socio-economic shifts drive woody species encroachment into mountain grasslands, altering carbon sequestration patterns and contributing to ecosystem changes.
In recent decades, the investigated area in the Aosta Valley region has seen the transition towards the abandonment of pastures by grazing livestock, below the forest line...
The aim of this study is to determine the temporal and spatial variation of fluxes of two greenhouse gases (GHGs), CH4 and CO2, at "Le Viote" alpine peatland (Trentino, Italy) using a closed dynamic chamber-based system consisting in a smart dark chamber (LiCor 8200-01) and gas analyser (LiCor 7800), characterizing their response to their main climatic and anthropogenic drivers. Climatic...
The main goal of the ATLAS IR (Advanced Technologies for Landslides Research Infrastructure), developed within the ITINERIS project, is to implement workflows, algorithms and a data management platform capable of integrating multiple heterogeneous datasets to support operations during emergency situations related to geo-hazards. Among the various types of landslide phenomena, this study...
The Italian scientific community can access scientific drilling and coring data mainly through the participation in two long lived international programs that are part of the Piano Nazionale Infrastructure di Ricerca (PNIR 2021-2027): The International Ocean Drilling Programme (IODP3 and its precursors), through the European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling (ECORD), and the...
The overall objective of this study is to improve the seismic risk assessment of the city of Potenza (southern Italy, selected because it is already the subject of several national and international research projects) based on a multidisciplinary approach that considers the seismic hazard of soils in the urban area, the interaction effect between soils and buildings, and the seismic capacity...
The present research activity aligns with one of the main objectives of the ATLaS research infrastructure: the development of forecasting models and quantitative risk assessment methods for geo-hydrological hazards. The work focused on the development and maintenance of a forecasting system for shallow rainfall-induced landslides that works continuously providing daily outputs in near...
Extreme events such as prolonged drought periods and high-intensity rainfall episodes intensify a cascade of hydrological problems. These range from difficulties in securing agricultural water supplies and managing water in urbanized areas, to the critical domain of hydrogeological risk, where ensuring slope stability and preventing landslides become particularly tricky challenges. Effectively...
Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) systems offer high-resolution imaging, rapid deployment, and operational flexibility, making them particularly suitable for time-critical applications such as environmental monitoring and emergency response. Compared to satellite-based systems, their lower flight altitudes enable improved azimuth resolution and shorter revisit times. However, accurate...
Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and magnetometric technologies are widely used as they are rapid, cost-efficient, versatile and non-destructive techniques. Thanks to the development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), several UAV-suitable miniaturized/lightweight GPR and magnetometers were released, opening new potentialities but also new challenges. UAV, indeed, allows fast data collection over...
The Italian geophysical test site PiTOP is part of ECCSEL, the distributed Research Infrastructure with the aim to enhance European science, technology development, innovation and education in the field of Carbon Dioxide Capture, Utilisation, Transport and Storage (CCUS). PiTOP offers five wells of different depths, is equipped with seismic and geoelectric instrumentation and allows to perform...
The ITINERIS project has supported the deployment of the first operational Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) network as part of the existing Seismic Monitoring in North‑Eastern Italy (SMINO) network, which operates within the Near‑Fault Observatory (NFO) of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region.
Five permanent DAS interrogators, each monitoring up to 50 km of publicly owned dark fiber optics...
The Virtual Research Environment on Carbon has been one of the successful outcomes of the Itineris programme. The VRE hosts multiple datasets, code, reference documents, and communication material useful for a broad community of researchers, stakeholders, and end users interested in the carbon cycle and related research. An operative version of the VRE Carbon, focused on the Italian territory,...
As part of the ITINERIS project (2022–2025), funded by NextGenerationEU, a Virtual Research Environment (VRE) has been developed to investigate the impacts of climate and environmental change. Hosted on the D4Science infrastructure, the VRE (Assante et al., 2021) offers tools for data visualization, analysis, and sharing, with dedicated toolboxes for marine and land domains.
In the **marine...
Beech forests (Fagus sylvatica L.) are important carbon sinks due to their ability to accumulate biomass and sequester atmospheric carbon. However, their dynamics are strongly influenced by seasonal biotic and abiotic factors, particularly in Mediterranean climates, where frequent droughts and heatwaves negatively affect photosynthesis, growth, respiration rates, and tree mortality. These...
Accelerated glacier retreat trends, mainly driven by human-induced climate change, are causing important changes in mountain landscapes. In the European Alps, over a century of glacier retreat has left new vast areas open for biotic colonization (mainly driven by plants and microbes).
Increasing time since deglaciation usually involves an increase in structural diversity and provides...
Isotope Geochemistry plays a pivotal role in exploring the natural variability of isotope ratios in Earth materials. The application of stable, noble gases, non-conventional stable, and radiogenic isotopes is fundamental across a wide range of Earth System disciplines, including geology, biology, archaeology, agronomy, ecology, up to medicine, food provenance studies, and climate change
In...
The Virtual Research Environment (VRE) serves as a collaborative platform designed to facilitate research activities across various scientific domains. By integrating diverse data sources, analytical tools, and computational resources, the VRE aims to enhance the accessibility and usability of data generated by research infrastructures (RIs). This environment fosters collaboration among...
