Agenda

Zoom: https://unive.zoom.us/j/82362474832?pwd=NHljcnBzRHR0Qlk3US9CdXpFNnJyUT09

Speaker: Maria BATTISTEL, Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia

Abstract:
Climate change exerts a notable impact on both the water cycle and aerosol dynamics, attributed to the global rise in temperatures. Mountain ecosystems are significantly affected by climate change, leading to glacier and snow cover retreat, disrupting water availability and runoff patterns. Extreme weather events, including storms and heatwaves, pose threats such as landslides and wildfires, impacting habitats and communities. Temperature and precipitation changes alter species distribution, risking biodiversity. In response to these challenges, a comprehensive and adaptive approach is essential for preserving the resilience of mountain environments. Advancements in the study of the isotopic composition of water within atmospheric sciences, hydrology, and agriculture have significantly enhanced our comprehension of processes related to water transport, mixing, and phase transformations. Nowadays, there is a growing scientific interest in elucidating the geochemical composition of aer
 osols, species, and particles dissolved in various water mediums such as rain, snow, and ice that offers invaluable insights into the complex interactions shaping the hydrological cycle and broader climate change phenomena.

The Spoke 1 within the "Interconnected North-East Innovation Ecosystem" (iNEST), funded by the European Union under the NextGenerationEU initiative, aims to develop research and technology transfer activities with a primary focus on the interdisciplinary exploration of mountain ecosystems. Within this project, the Ca’ Foscari Ice Cores, Isotopic and Environmental Geochemistry Lab is currently working into three main research topics: 1) Air quality in mountain areas, specifically analyzing temporal trends of air pollutants; 2) Vulnerability assessment of mountain springs (in collaboration with ARPAV); and 3) Mountain rivers ecosystems, with a case study in Valfredda involving sampling campaigns and isotopic analyses conducted in collaboration with the University of Padua (Unipd). This seminar will provide an overview of the research undertaken during this first year of iNEST, with a focus on the methodologies employed and initial research results.


Bio Sketch
Dr. Maria Battistel is an environmental scientist specialized in environmental geochemistry, with a focus on water resources quality and hydrogeology. She holds a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences (Geochemistry) from Sapienza University of Rome. During her Ph.D., she dedicated her research to studying elements mobility in groundwater, with a specific focus on assessing vulnerability in low-enthalpy geothermal systems. Her Ph.D. visiting period at the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Copenhagen allowed her to investigate the use of stable isotopes as environmental tracers and the application of geochemical modeling as a tool for understanding the water-gas-rock subsurface interaction.

She worked for several years at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) focusing her research on water rock interaction and reactive transport modeling in fully saturated porous media, with a specific emphasis on the fate of inorganic pollution in the subsoil.

In her current research fellowship at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Italy, Maria works within the iNEST project on the analysis of atmospheric aerosol and water resources to contribute to the preservation of mountain ecosystems.