A Time Series Database for Continuous Gravimetric Data Powered by PostgreSQL, TimescaleDB, and Grafana

Mt. Etna, the most active volcano in Europe, is extensively monitored by the Osservatorio Etneo (OE), of the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), using various geophysical sensors, including gravimeters. This paper focuses on the design and implementation of a system for storing continuous gravimetric data recorded by three permanent stations on Mt. Etna, powered by GWR iGrav Superconducting Gravimeters. These devices provide high-precision gravity measurements along with numerous internal and external parameters required for data correction and interpretation. The continuous data from these stations generate large datasets stored as daily ASCII-encoded TSF files, synchronized hourly on a central server. To optimize data storage and retrieval, a time series database system was developed using TimescaleDB, built on PostgreSQL. This approach overcomes the limitations of traditional ASCII file storage and addresses the challenges of managing time series data. TimescaleDB’s capabilities, such as hypertables, chunks, and native column compression, significantly enhance the efficiency and scalability of data handling. Additionally, the implementation of Grafana provides an efficient web-based solution for interactive data visualization and monitoring. The OE Gravimetric Database leverages these technologies to enable quick and efficient access to time series data, facilitating comprehensive analysis and real-time monitoring. The paper details the design choices, implementation steps, and optimization techniques employed in developing this advanced database system, demonstrating its effectiveness in managing a huge amount of continuous real-time data.