An important activity for the study of the ionosphere consists in continuous and systematic measurements of ionospheric phenomena through the radio soundings stations.
The INGV operates three ionospheric stations: the first is located in Rome active since 1949; the second is located in the Observatory of Gibilmanna, near Palermo; the third at Terra Nova Bay in the Italian base in Antarctica and has been active since 1993 with the aim of studying the ionospheric phenomena at high latitudes.
These stations are part of the worldwide network of ionospheric observatories.
Moreover, thanks to a scientific collaboration between Italy and Argentina, also two Argentinean ionospheric observatories (Tucumán and Bahia Blanca) are equipped with an AIS-INGV ionosonde.