Two weeks after the installation of a station for magnetotelluric and geomagnetic field monitoring at Mamone in Sardinia, INGV activities at the Prison Colony continue with the deployment of a local seismic network comprising 16 stations and a weather station. The work, carried out between 24 and 27 March, was made possible by close collaboration between the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), the Directorate of Mamone Prison Colony, and the Sardinian Regional Directorate of the Agenzia del Demanio.
The instrumentation was acquired under the INGV's MEET project (Monitoring Earth's Evolution and Tectonics), funded by the PNRR, which will conclude in April 2026. The project has enabled a series of measurement campaigns at the site candidate to host the Einstein Telescope, the future European third-generation gravitational wave observatory, yielding a body of fundamental data. The experiment, expected to run for two months, aims to identify the sources of seismic noise in the area and characterise how it propagates — parameters that are crucial for assessing site suitability. Should the recordings prove to be of high quality, the 16 stations could be integrated into a permanent seismometric network.
The installation was carried out by four INGV researchers, working alongside two colleagues from the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) and a researcher from the University of Cagliari. In the initial phases, prison colony staff made a valuable contribution by helping to identify the optimal positions for the instruments, drawing on their detailed knowledge of the terrain.
The operational phase of the installation was led by six inmates of the Prison Colony, whose contribution proved decisive in completing the work on schedule. Their physical strength, practical skill, and ability to quickly grasp technical requirements allowed the team to operate with efficiency, in a spirit of genuine and respectful collaboration. Alongside the scientific value of the initiative, the researchers wish to highlight a human and social dimension. The active participation of the inmates in a European-scale scientific research activity was an unusual and stimulating working experience, far removed from the daily routine of the facility. It is the hope of all those involved that this small but tangible experience may contribute positively to the rehabilitation of the Colony's residents, offering them contact with the world of science and new opportunities to demonstrate their abilities.
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