The DIVE Project – Phase 2 in Valsesia

Presentation of the deep drilling project in Varallo

On Friday 2 October 2026, at 5.00 pm, at Palazzo d’Adda in Varallo, academics and researchers will present the second phase of the DIVE project – Drilling the Ivrea-Verbano zonE, dedicated to the in-depth exploration of the Ivrea-Verbano Zone, one of the most significant geological settings in the Western Alps.

The Sesia Val Grande Geopark area is a natural laboratory of extraordinary interest for the study of the Earth’s deep structure. In Valsesia, in fact, tectonic processes have brought rocks to near the surface that were originally formed at great depths within the Earth’s crust and close to the mantle.

From the boreholes in the Ossola Valley to the Valsesia

The DIVE project was launched with the aim of directly studying, through scientific drilling, the deep structure of the Ivrea-Verbano area. The first phase, carried out between 2022 and 2024, involved the drilling of two boreholes in the Ossola Valley, reaching a depth of 910 metres.

The second phase of the project is now moving to Valsesia. In the Vocca area, plans are in place to drill a new exploratory well, which is expected to reach a depth of around 2 kilometres, where the transition between the Earth’s crust and the mantle is anticipated.

This research is of particular interest for our understanding of the structure and geological evolution of the Alps and, more generally, of the processes that have shaped the Earth’s crust.

An international study

The project is supportedby the ICDP – International Continental Scientific Drilling Programme, the international programme dedicated to continental scientific drilling, and involves numerous Italian and international research institutions.

The project involves the INGV – National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, the University of Trieste and the University of Naples Parthenope, together with research institutions and universities in Switzerland, Austria, Germany, France, the United States and Australia.

The presentation in Varallo will therefore be an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the objectives of the second phase of DIVE and to see why Valsesia is an area of exceptional interest for the study of the Earth’s depths.

Date:
📅 Friday 2 October 2026
🕔 5.00 pm
📍 Palazzo d’Adda, Varallo (VC)
🔬 Presentation of the DIVE project – Phase 2 in Valsesia