reSEArch-EU - European University of the Seas

Date: Sunday 5th November (09:00 to 12:00)

Ever wondered about any tangible and visible legacy of the University of Malta’s impact on Maltese society at large? Motivated by the SEA-EU Alliance to further explore UM’s complex linkages with society, a coach tour set out to find out more.

Four locations were pre-selected to showcase some of UM’s expert and scientific contribution to social, cultural and environmental issues: The Seismic Research Station on the UM Campus, Msida; the High Frequency Radar Station at Ghar Lapsi, limits of Siggiewi; the historic Water Tank at the Abattoir, Marsa; and the Breakwater to Grand Harbour, Valletta.

Some 25 participants took up the offer to join a rather unique guided tour to all four sites on Sunday morning, November 5th. UM specialists Matthew Agius (seismology), Adam Gauci (wave and current obseervations), Ruben Paul Borg (concrete engineering and conservation; architecture) and Dane Munro (cultural anthropology, plus tourist guide) explained the significance of the sites. The tour was led by Prof. Godfrey Baldacchino and organised by Prof. Aldo Drago.

The planned visits were:

• Seismic Station – The Seismic Monitoring and Research Group from the Department of Geosciences, University of Malta, operates the Malta Seismic Network that monitors earthquake activity around the Maltese Islands. During this tour, you’ll have the opportunity to visit the on-campus seismic station, one of the network’s eight broadband seismic stations.
• Abattoir Water Tower and adjacent research station – The Reinforced Concrete Water Tower (1930s) and the University of Malta Research Station in Engineering Materials and Structural Health Monitoring. The Water Tower was restored by the University of Malta using advanced ultra high performance concrete with self healing properties.
• HF Radar site – One of the four stations in Malta and Gozo forming part of a network of SeaSonde radars, set up during the CALYPSO Interreg Italia-Malta funded projects for the real-time observations of sea surface currents and waves in the Malta-Sicily Channel
• Grand Harbour Breakwater – History, damages, and what is being done to safeguard the breakwater in Valletta.