Agreement signed between the Air Force Weather Service and the ENEA Antarctic Technical Unit for the construction of a permanent airport runway in the Terra Nova Bay area.
The agreement concerns a study aimed at identifying the twenty primary [or main] aspects of an area deemed suitable for the construction of a gravel, and therefore permanent, airport runway near the Italian “Mario Zucchelli”in Antarctica.
To this end, experts from ENEA and the Meteorological Service of the Air Force will work together to create a wind field model based on the “Relocation”in the Antarctic area of the high-resolution model named COSMO-IT, already used by the AM Weather Service and applied limitedly to national borders and operational theatres“Out of area”.
A thorough understanding of the prevailing winds in the area of interest is an essential component of the feasibility study relating to airport runway design, especially on the Antarctic continent where wind is precisely one of the parameters most to be considered for the success and safety of logistical and scientific operations.
If the identified area, in addition to the logistical, geological and environmental requirements, also possesses suitable meteorological characteristics, the construction of a permanent runway will represent a significant increase in the operational efficiency of the Italian Base, improving the capacity for supplying materials and provisions, and the transfer of personnel, whilst simultaneously drastically reducing the contribution currently required from other Antarctic programmes for the execution of these activities. This infrastructure will also contribute to further increasing the already high safety standards, ensuring the possibility of independently and quickly evacuating personnel in the event of accidents.
During the upcoming 30th expedition, wind measurements will be taken among other surveys by the Italian Air Force (AM) meteorologists, who have supported the expeditions since the beginning of their Antarctic venture, ensuring a high-quality service not only for the scientific community operating there but also for flight activity across a wide Antarctic area. The AM Meteorological Service is the meteorological body that provides the country with an active weather condition monitoring service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year round, through its operational centre in Pratica di Mare (the CNMCA). Within the scope of meteorological parameter observations/measurements, the AM Meteorological Service ensures service continuity and high-quality data collection, in accordance with WMO standards.
