Summary
Mt. Melbourne is a quiescent stratovolcano located close to the Mario Zucchelli Station (about 40 km) Recently, the presence of large fumarolic ice caves (FIC), formed by the heat released from fumaroles and ground, was confirmed on Melbourne in the framework of the PNRA Ice-Volc Project Melbourne FIC represent a prefect laboratory to study volcanological and biological peculiar aspects, almost impossible to study elsewhere: (1) are an ideal ecosystem to study chemolithoautotrophic microorganisms; (2) could help to investigate the eruptive history of the volcano; (3) represent a particularly protected place were performing volcanic surveillance.

Objectives
Main object of the project are:
• perform measurement and surveys around the FIC, by means of geophysical (IPR), glaciological and volcanological approaches;
• develop monitoring systems in order to better define the current state of the volcano and mitigate the volcanic risk;
• collect and analyze soil samples from different FIC to gain a possible perspective on the eventual existence of microbial ecosystem in the FIC;
• produce a public media virtual tour that permits the access and the visit of FIC by entering in the PNRA site, combined with a follow-up of the main results gathered by the project (data dissemination).

Project Partners
• Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia - INGV
• Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca - UniMIB
• Istituto per i Beni Archeologici e Monumentali - CNR-IBAM