Words for the Earth 2025

From 5 to 20 February 2025, INGV invites you to participate in the 6th edition of "Words for the Earth", a special event scheduled from 5 to 20 February 2025 in various locations of the Institute and beyond, as part of the STEM Week and on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the foundation of INGV. Volcanologists, seismologists and experts in environmental issues will accompany the public on a journey to discover our planet, with interactive activities, innovative technologies and the latest scientific discoveries. The initiative aims to raise awareness among visitors about the phenomena studied by geosciences.

Scientific speed dates will be organized in some locations. The speed date formula provides a visitor with the opportunity to sit at a table for a face-to-face meeting with a researcher to whom he can ask any question on specific topics for a short time. With an informal, inclusive and dialogue-oriented experience, we hope to foster understanding and stimulate interest in geosciences.

A diverse and educational experience for all, celebrating the beauty of geology and the commitment of INGV to the study and knowledge of our planet.

See you there!

The event program

Rome

Title: In love with the Earth...Coffee and Scientific Aperitif

When: February 15, 2025, 11am to 19pm

Where: National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, Headquarters, Via Di Vigna Murata 605

DDescription: Do you have doubts, perplexities or simple curiosities about the hot topics of earth sciences? It's time to clarify them! On February 15, the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology opens its doors to the public. Come and have a coffee with us starting at 11: while we have breakfast together you have 15 minutes to choose one of the topics proposed in the area dedicated to speed-dating and ask all the questions you want. It will also be possible to visit the seismic monitoring room in an extraordinary way, there will be visors, drones and games for children.

If you prefer to come and visit us in the afternoon, we will toast with a spritz all together at the end of the activities.

See you there!

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The day's program

See Event Poster

Paper Volcanoes Laboratory.

Experiential laboratory for the preschool children (3-5 years). A different and fun way to approach the fascinating world of volcanoes and natural hazards. Children will be carefully guided in the creation of their fantastic paper volcano and in freeing their imagination in a game of colors and joy.

Workshop hours: 11:00 - 12:00 - 14:00 - 15:00 - 16:00 - 17:00 . 18:0

Space Memory INGV

Let's learn with Space Memory, a game of concentration and memory, to know the main elements of the solar system, such as planets and satellites, but also some natural phenomena.
The Space Memory INGV game is inspired by the famous Memory® by Ravensburger, a game made up of identical, illustrated square cards in pairs. The Space Memory INGV is made up of 24 pairs of cards depicting various elements of the Solar System and a guide poster containing all the elements of the game.

Game mode

The cards are placed with the backs facing up. Alternately, players must reveal two of them.
The game is recommended for children aged 3 to 6 years.

Orari: 11.30-12.30-15.30-16.30-17.30

ESCAPE VOLCANO

Starting from the crater, follow the path that winds through 10 small chambers, through the conduit to the magma chamber. Try to reach the “EXIT” before the volcano erupts, overcoming all the trials that come your way. As you play, you will learn everything about volcanoes and the various types of eruptions.
Escape Volcano aims to convey basic notions about volcanoes and their eruption types. It was created with the contribution of high school students as part of the Alternanza Scuola Lavoro project.

Maximum number of participants: 24 distributed in 4 teams

Age of participants: 8+

Orari: 11.00-12.00-15.00-16.00-17.00

The Octopus Game - Discovering the marine environment.

Get ready for an underwater adventure! In the Octopus game, you will not only have fun rolling dice, but you will also learn a lot of interesting things about the ocean. You will find out how the water changes in the depths, what sea creatures live there, and how we can protect our Blue Planet. It is a game for curious explorers who want to discover the secrets of the sea!

The game is played with the participation of INGV researchers. Target age: 5 – 10 years

Workshop time: 11:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 16:00 | 17:00

Volcano3D (for HTC VIVE and Oculus Quest 2)

Virtual journey inside a lava tube to illustrate the eruptive dynamics of an effusive volcano. Unlike other traditional user interfaces, VR places the user inside an experience: instead of viewing a screen in front of them, users are immersed and able to interact with 3D virtual worlds in which all the senses can be simulated.

Tsunami 3D (for HTC VIVE).

Virtual journey to teach the geophysical mechanisms that lead to the formation of tsunamis. This environment was designed especially for children.

Tsunami quiz

“And…if you feel a strong earthquake at the beach?”
“And…When does the sea retreat?”
Think about it, but not too much, press the button and…

Did you know what to do or not?
Here we show off our knowledge and learn at the touch of a button.

By reflecting the right and using our previous cultural background you will be supported by the INGV researchers to satisfy all your curiosity or doubts about the world of tsunamis.
A flexible learning platform that can be adapted to different contexts will welcome children, students, families and scientists with multiple-choice quizzes, supported by multimedia content.
The questions that make up the quizzes - carefully selected by researchers - in addition to providing basic information and details about tsunamis, are designed to arouse curiosity in respondents and fuel a potential educational comparison.
The online platform is accessible from any device capable of establishing a connection to the network and users can connect through their smartphones.
This ensures flexibility of use and free access to anyone who wants to participate in the game.
Play to learn!

Earth's Magnetism: The Invisible Heart of the Planet

A fascinating journey to discover the Earth's magnetic field, an invisible but fundamental force that protects our planet and affects our daily lives. Through images, videos and engaging explanations, we will explore its profound origins, its mysterious variations over time and its essential role in navigation, technology and spectacular phenomena such as auroras. An opportunity to see the Earth in a new light and understand the importance of this natural shield that accompanies us every day.

Sismolab 3d Laboratory

The seismic reflection laboratory, called “SismoLab-3D”, is an infrastructure of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology aimed at archiving, processing and interpretation of subsurface data such as seismic reflection profiles and well analysis, the production of 2D and 3D geological models of the subsurface for geological, seismological and seismotectonic analyses. During the Open Day, videos and 3D geological models will be shown in relation to the main seismic sequences that occurred in the Central Apennines in the last 30 years.

Applied Geophysics Stand

Applied geophysics uses subsurface exploration techniques, which are based on well-known principles of physics, to study and characterize the most superficial part of the Earth's crust, in a non-invasive way. To do this, instrumental devices are used that allow the measurement of some physical parameters of the soil which are then processed to produce maps and models of the subsurface. Among these, the georadar, the geoelectric, the magnetometer, the gravimeter, the thermal camera and many other instruments used in the field will be shown.

OS-IS Corner

Sea monitoring is essential for applications such as navigation safety and coastal protection. In our corner we will present OS-IS, an accelerometer system capable of monitoring the state of the sea directly from the ground, without any component in the water. We will show the accelerometer that allows OS-IS to detect small seismic vibrations generated by waves and, from these, determine the sea conditions.

Exhibit on sea level rise.

Visitors will be able to get information and see interactive maps on the effects of the sea level rise in the Mediterranean until 2150 caused by global warming.

Technological Challenges: Recording Earth Signals in the Deep Sea

Hidden beneath kilometers of water, the ocean floor preserves seismic movements, volcanic eruptions, and climate traces that shape the Earth in profound and global ways.
Exploring them means immersing yourself in extreme environments, where the pressure is crushing, and the total absence of light makes direct observation impossible.
This interactive space is an opportunity to descend to a depth of 2000 m and discover how technological innovation is pushing knowledge beyond the limits, allowing us to observe and listen in real time to the signals emerging from the depths of the Earth.

Laboratory OUTCOME

The ESITO laboratory is an INGV laboratory dedicated to the study of SITE Effects. Its staff is responsible for studying seismic amplification and other earthquake-related effects, starting from the field acquisition of seismological data up to its processing in the context of studies, national and international research projects, theses and emergency activities (EMERSITO operational group).
We will introduce you to and help you understand the site effects with illustrations and videos of seismic events that occurred in the past, also showing you the interventions of the ESITO laboratory in emergency phases, and recreating the phenomenon in person through small experiments to be carried out at our corner together with the laboratory staff.

The magnetism of leaves and lichens for the protection of human health and cultural heritage

Magnetic biomonitoring techniques of air pollution use leaves and lichens as natural systems for controlling and mitigating the spread of polluting "fine dust" in urban spaces. The meeting will discuss preventive conservation of cultural heritage, recounting the fascinating multidisciplinary studies carried out at Villa Farnesina and the Colosseum Archaeological Park in Rome, at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice and underway at the Metropolitan Museum in New York and the Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence. The meeting will be followed by a visit to the paleomagnetism laboratory, where scientific investigations are carried out.

The Evolution of Seismic Instruments: From the Pendulum System to the Electromagnetic Seismograph

Let's compare together a simple pendulum instrument from the late 700th century with a more complex instrument such as the Palmieri electromagnetic seismograph.

Sharing minds

A three-episode miniseries that tells the choral adventure of the profession of geoscientific research, the transnational and transgenerational exchange, the collaboration between institutions, open science. The series is filmed in three places of Italian geography: Etna and the Laboratory of Sedimentology (Catania), San Felice sul Panaro (Modena) with the activities of the Laboratory of Site Effects and the Laboratory of Experimental Tectonics of the RomaTre University (Rome).