Equipment and data aquisition techniques employed by the Italian geophysical exploration in Antarctica performed by OGS cruises 1987-88, 88-89 and 89-90

During the Antarctic summers 1987-88, 1988-89 and 1989-90, the Osservatorio Geofisico Sperimentale of Trieste (O.G.S.) performed three geophysical surveys in the seas surrounding Antarctica. The research was carried out in the framework of the Italian Research Program in Antarctica, promoted by the National Scientific Commission for Antarctic Research headed by the Ministry of Universities and Scientific and Technological Research (MURST). The exploration involved different areas of interest in the Ross Sea, in the South Pacific Ocean, in the Weddel Sea, in the Amundsen and Bellingshausen Seas, in the areas surrounding the Antarctic Peninsula and in the South Atlantic Ocean. All the cruises were undertaken by the r/v OGS EXPLORA, and consisted in a systematic collection of reflection seismic, gravity and magnetic data. During the second and third surveys, some refraction seismic profiles (with sonobuoys) were acquired in cooperation with the United States Geological Survey (U.S.G.S.). The three campaigns gave a total of 16,923 km of seismic profiles and a total of over 20.000 km of gravity and magnetic continuous recording. Description of the main characteristics of the geophysical research ship OGS EXPLORA and her geophysical equipment 15 summarized in the following.