OGS has gained wide experience in acquiring geophysical data and, in particular, in on-shore and off-shore seismic exploration. The instrumentation at its disposal allows the acquisition of geophysical data on-shore, near-shore and in the coastal transition area, with targets of a few meters below the surface, up to a few kilometres. 

The variety of tools we have developed allow tackling various fields of research such as geothermal energy, hydrocarbon research, hydrogeological instability studies, marine geohazards, as well as geological characterization of large infrastructures (tunnels, nuclear power plants, ports, etc.). The exploration geophysics infrastructure consists of instrumentation of absolute technological importance and is unique in its context in the national scientific panorama:

• energization systems for seismic surveys (Vibroseis, MinVib, accelerated mass, seismic rifle, SH wave source);
• geophonic sensors (800 geophone strings);
• hydrophones streamer for seabed and wells;
• telemetry tools for recording seismic data (400 channels);
• 24-channel seismographs;
• instruments for vibrometry measurements;
• instruments for geo-resistivity surveys;
• magnetometers;
• georadar;
• acoustic instruments for seabed mapping (multi-beam echo sounder);
• sub-bottom-profilers (chirp and boomer);
• side-scan-sonar;
• GPS receivers for precision topographic surveys.