Applied Mineralogy and Advanced Material Characterization

• Natural and secondary raw materials: characterization and industrial applications

• Improvement of the technological properties of traditional ceramics

• Advanced Technologies for the Green Transition: Development, Characterization, and Functionalization of Porous Materials

• Critical Raw material recovery exploiting zeolites cation exchange capacity

• Identification, characterization and mixture design of natural and secondary raw materials for eco-sustainable agriculture

• Low-CO2 cements and alternative binders for more sustainable building materials

Researchers: Alessandro Gualtieri, Rossella Arletti, Daniele Malferrari, Alberto Viani, Riccardo Fantini, Giulio Galamini

Groundwater Resources Assessment, Monitoring and Protection 

The thematic area deals with the assessment, monitoring and protection of groundwater resources hosted in porous, fractured and karst aquifers. It involves field recognition, mapping, remote sensing, in-situ monitoring, site investigation (geognostic and geophysical), pumping and tracer tests, hydrochemical and water isotopes characterization, GIS and numerical modeling, and optimization of groundwater management and protection measures.

Researchers: Francesco Ronchetti, Alessandro Corsini, Marco Mulas, Diego Arosio

Hydrogeological Risk Assessment, Monitoring and Prevention 

The thematic area deals with the assessment, monitoring and prevention of hazards and risk related to rainfall induced landslides, floods and morphological effects to the rivers, mass transfer phenomena along the secondary drainage network, sediments cascade from the hillslopes to the channels and the stability of earth embankments and levees. It involves field and remote-sensing supported mapping, site investigation (geomorphological, geognostic and geophysical), slope movements monitoring (with in-situ or remote sensing methods, including Offset Tracking of multitemporal UAV and Satellite datasets), morphological changes in the river corridors analysis, sediment dynamic monitoring, coastal instability analysis, GIS-based susceptibility assessment, deterministic slope stability analysis, definition of rainfall - landslides relationships, planning of structural and non structural prevention and mitigation measures.

Researchers: Alessandro Corsini, Marco Mulas, Francesco Ronchetti, Diego Arosio, Vittoria Scorpio, Mauro Soldati

Isotope metallomics in modern and ancient times

Isotope metallomics is an emerging field that explores the distribution, function, and interactions of metals in biological systems by analyzing their natural isotope ratios. This research area focuses on developing advanced analytical techniques, such as mass spectrometry, to study metal isotope distributions in biological specimens.

PhD students in this field will investigate the dynamic interactions between metals, biological systems, and the environment. By examining element speciation, isotope fractionation, and metal mobilization across soil, air, plants, animals, and human tissues, we aim to trace the pathways of essential and toxic metals through ecosystems. Key applications include niche partitioning studies, medical diagnostics, and identifying sources of toxic metal contamination.

Biological samples will be analyzed across various timescales, from ancient to modern periods, providing insights into past and contemporary metal dynamics.

Researchers: Federico Lugli, Anna Cipriani

Paleoenvironments, paleoclimate, paleotectonic and sedimentary events in the geological record

The research activity in the field of Geology and Palaeontology includes several research topics summarized below:

• Methane-derived authigenic carbonates associated with cold-seep in the northern Apennines and relations among the ascent of fluids, tectonics and climatic variations.

• Paleogeography and paleotectonics of Ligurian and Epi-ligurian sequences of the northern Apennines (regional and structural geology, facies analysis, composition and biostratigraphy).

• Evaporitic deposits of the Mediterranean and of the northern Apennines.

• Quaternary geological evolution of alluvial and coastal plains based on integrated stratigraphy and sand petrography. .

• Interaction of human societies with geological processes (e.g. earthquakes, flooding events, subsidence) in the past (geoarcheology), present and near future.

• Analysis of sedimentary basins and source-to-sink systems.

• Paleobiodiversity and facies models for paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic reconstructions in the geological record. Facies analysis and paleoecological reconstruction of Mediterranean Cenozoic coral reef systems. Coral paleobiodiversity patterns through the Cenozoic, paleoclimatic and paleogeographic implications. The response of shallow-water biocalcifiers to the Early Paleogene global warming. Study of Early Paleozoic recurring cycles of biofacies, with particular emphasis on the genesis and significance of microbial deposits and organic-rich shales, to elaborate environmental and depositional settings. 

• Bio-chemostratigraphical proxies for the correlation and dating of marine sediments and sedimentary rocks. Analysis of Lower Paleozoic conodont faunas in Europe (taxonomy, biostratigraphy, palaeogeography, palaeoecology) for a precise time-scale calibration.  Study of bioapatite pattern in conodonts and related groups. Application of trace element and strontium isotope geochemistry to studies of marine carbonates for paleooceanographic reconstructions and Sr isotope stratigraphy

Researchers: Francesca Bosellini, Anna Cipriani, Stefano Conti, Annalisa Ferretti, Chiara Fioroni, Daniela Fontana, Stefano Lugli, Cesare Andrea Papazzoni, Francesca Remitti, Alessandro Vescogni, Federico Lugli, Giovanni Camanni, Vittorio Maselli

Study, protection and valorization of Geoheritage

Geoheritage is a crucial resource for socio-economic development. This thematic area focuses on studying geoheritage, protecting it from potential natural and human-induced threats, and promoting its value within local and global socio-cultural contexts. Field recognition, exploration, mapping, and monitoring are essential tools for assessments that support land-use planning and the optimal management of these natural resources.

Researchers: Paola Coratza, Mauro Soldati

Structural Geology of Seismogenic Sources

This research area includes the study of seismogenic sources, which is a dynamic and multidisciplinary research field with significant societal relevance, particularly for understanding and mitigating earthquake hazards. A key approach involves examining fossil and exhumed faults and shear zones to predict the materials, structures, and deformation mechanisms at play in active seismogenic sources. This research combines extensive field work complemented by fault mapping using high-resolution 3D seismic reflection and seismological data, as well as microstructural and geochemical analyses.

Researchers: Giovanni Camanni, Francesca Remitti

Tectonics of Plate Boundaries

Brief description: This research area investigates processes taking place at divergent, convergent, and strike-slip plate margins. Convergent margins are studied at various scales and evolutionary stages, particularly the initial stage of lithospheric subduction and the later stage of continental collision. While the first is examined through detailed analysis of the deformation process in the frontal part of subduction zones, the collisional stage is primarily explored by assessing the structural style and development of fold-and-thrust belts. Rifted margins are studied from their inception to their mature stages, with an emphasis on the role played by pre-existing faults on rift architecture and evolution. Additionally, this research area explores the composition of mid-ocean ridges, examining how magmatic and hydrothermal processes influence crust formation and elemental cycling. By integrating structural geology, geochemistry, and geophysical data, this work aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the forces driving lithospheric deformation and the geochemical fluxes shaping Earth’s surface.

Researchers: Daniele Brunelli, Anna Cipriani, Giovanni Camanni, Francesca Remitti

Transfer of elements and compounds in the geosphere and to the hydro- and biosphere

Using advanced chemical and isotope analyses PhD students in this group will study samples of

magmatic and metamorphic rocks in order to elucidate a broad range of scientific issues regarding

petrological and geochemical processes. These processes are directly linked to geodynamic and

environmental contexts often interacting with the hydrosphere and possibly the biosphere. Some of

the principal research themes in the group include:

• the genesis of magmas in continental and oceanic environments;

• the structure and composition of the lithosphere;

• the characterization (length scale and nature) of mantle heterogeneities;

• geochemical modelling of melt transport in the mantle;

• the relationships between the geodynamic environment, magma sources and volcanism;

• interaction processes between mantle derived magmas and crust;

• re-equilibrium processes in the subsolidus related to crustal geodynamics;

• mass transfer processes between the geosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere.

The topics developed will provide the students with hands-on experience in state-of-the-art

analytical techniques (EMPA, SIMS, LA-ICPMS, LA-MC-ICMPS, SEM, TEM, RAMAN, ability

to undertake complex separation chemistry with low procedure blanks) that will be useful not only

in academic research but also in the industry and in the applied field of geo-resources and

environmental impact assessment.
 

Researchers: Daniele Brunelli, Anna Cipriani, Tommaso Giovanardi, Federico Lugli, Maurizio Mazzucchelli.