L'Aquila is a historic seat of the National Institute of Geophysics which in 1999 was transformed into the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV). The site was founded in 1958 on the occasion of the International Geophysical Year, around the geomagnetic observatory of Preturo, the first in Italy. The news that appeared in the press in recent days of a desire by INGV to close the L'Aquila office are groundless. The current headquarters of the Institute, at the offices in via dell'Arcivescovado, had developed thanks to the Abruzzo Project - Program Agreement between the Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) and the Abruzzo Region - to respond to the new needs of scientific study and the study, monitoring and prevention policies that arose following the tragic seismic event of 2009.
For several years, a group of temporary researchers, geologists, engineers, physicists, has been carrying out research activities in the field of seismology applied to engineering, environmental geology and geophysics and seismic hazard.
Currently, for logistical reasons (office in the red zone with access problems for staff and service vehicles), the office is being transferred to the new offices located in the Porta Napoli area. This choice is also linked to the imminent closure of the Abruzzo research project, which is why INGV is awaiting the formalization of a new collaboration relationship with the Region, in the absence of which there will be a significant reduction in research activities research, connected to the contraction of the workforce.
Rome, October 15 2016