Arctic Station Dirigibile Italia, IT

The station is operated by Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) through the Institute of Polar Sciences (ISP).

The science conducted at DIR-ITA encompasses physics and chemistry of the atmosphere and snow, microbial ecology and evolution, nutrients and ecosystems, biogeochemistry and energy fluxes, clouds, aerosols, gases, contaminants and pollutants, airborne spores of fungi and pollen and bacteria, soil, soil vegetation and permafrost, oceanography, marine biomarkers, remote sensing of the environment, sun-earth relations and space weather.

Contribution to POLARIN key research challenges: 2, 4, 5, 6, 7

Information about Ny-Ã…lesund research station

Important information about the currently ongoing research activities, including the four Ny-Ã…lesund flagship programs, and the collaboration between the five partners offering access to Ny-Ã…lesund research station (AWI, IPEV, CNR, NERC and NPI is available here: https://eu-polarin.eu/ny-alesund/

Contact:For enquiries contact: head.dirigibileitalia[at]cnr.it

Website
https://www.isp.cnr.it/index.php/en/infrastructures/research-stations/dirigibile-italia
https://www.interact-gis.org/Home/Station/14

Location

Dirigibile Italia is one of the multidisciplinary research stations managed by the CNR in polar regions, providing supportÂto numerous national and international research projects. The station, inaugurated in 1997, is located in the village of Ny-Ã…lesund (78°55′ N, 11°56′ E), on Spitsbergen Island, in the Svalbard archipelago. It is from there that the polar expedition of the General Umberto Nobile set off in 1928, and the station is named in its honour.

Facilities and Services offered

DIR-ITA is a 323 m2 facility with laboratories and workspaces, including:

– Accommodation up to 7 people
– Chemistry laboratory equipped with a laminar flow hood and an extraction hood, a precision balance, ultrapure water dispenser, freezer and more.
– Electronics and mechanics laboratory. An internal warehouse space for storing material.
– 3 snowmobiles for winter and spring shifts, equipped with trolleys for transporting material, as well as the necessary suits, boots and helmets.
– 3 fat-bikes with trolley for summer shifts.
– 5 VHF radios for communication between people in the field and for their safety.

Observatories linked to the facility include Amundsen-Nobile Climate Change Tower (33 m meteorological mast for the study of the surface layer), and Mooring Dirigibile Italia (instrumented mooring for the study of the water column).

What is included in the Access

Unit of access: User/day

Modalities of access offered: In-person access, remote access

Access to the station facility includes accommodation, use of laboratories and logistics and security facilities, and support of the station manager. The typical duration of work is 15 days. The users will be integrated into the scheduling of the infrastructure according to the requests received by the station. The field work can be done with a certain degree of independence, evaluated case-by-case.

Access to Amundsen-Nobile Climate Change Tower observatory includes the access to the infrastructure, power, Ethernet connection. For remote access, the installation will be curated by the staff of the station. The typical duration of work is 2-3 days for preparatory work, 1 day for installation and 1 day for removal. Instruments can stay up to 1 year. The users will be integrated into the scheduling of the infrastructure maintenance (usually during spring and/or fall). This is valid also for remote access. The degree of independence of the users depends on the complexity of the installation.

Access to Mooring Dirigibile Italia observatory includes access to the infrastructure. For remote access the installation will be curated by the staff of the station. Typical duration of work is 2-3 days for preparatory work, 1 day for installation and 1 for removal. Instruments stay in place for a minimum of 1 year. Users will be integrated into the scheduling of the infrastructure maintenance (usually during fall). This is valid also for remote access. The complexity of the installation doesn’t allow any independence of users.

Availability for access in the 2024 call

The station operates year-round. Access will be granted from

1^st March 2025 to 30^th April 2026.

Time frame for access preparations

The documentation for access has to be provided at least 6 months in advance. The logistics can be arranged in the last 3 months prior. But be aware of the deadlines for permits (see below).

Permits, licenses and training

Users should contact the station for additional information about permits.

In Svalbard some field activities need permits from Governor’s of Svalbard, with fixed deadlines for the request (Governor’s of Svalbard website)
Also, a permit to rent and manage a rifle for defense from the polar bear is needed: this can take time to be obtained.

Medical guidelines

Users have to provide a medical clearance following CNR protocol and a first aid course certification to access to the station.