Department of
Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics

Quaternary and Anthropocene Geology

The laboratory works on both coastal and deep-sea environments to reconstruct their evolution and assess their vulnerability at different spatial (local to global) and temporal scales (with an emphasis on the Quaternary, including the post-industrial). Active lines of research include the study of:

  • Siliciclastic and carbonate systems, and changes induced by changing forcing (e.g. sea-level rise and ocean acidification).
  • Hydrodynamics of coastal systems and their evolution over time. Vulnerability assessment and flood risk of coastal areas.
  • Evolution (in geological times) of temperature, ocean circulation, ice mass volume, marine productivity and carbon cycle through the study of biogenic sediments (i.e., stable isotopes and trace elements on foraminifera);
  • Role of ocean circulation on climate change.
Research group

Collaborators

  • Denovan Chaveau (Postdoc WARMCOASTS)
  • Nikos Georgiou (Postdoc WARMCOASTS)
  • Silas Dean (Postdoc WARMCOASTS)
  • Flavia Visin (Technical Staff)

Collaborations

Publications

  • Bajo, P., Drysdale, R.N., Woodhead, J.D., Hellstrom, J.C., Hodell, D., Ferretti, P., Voelker, A.H.L., Zanchetta, G., Rodrigues, T., Wolff, E., Tyler, J., Frisia, S., Spötl, C., Fallick, A.E. (2020). Persistent influence of obliquity on ice age terminations since the Middle Pleistocene transition. Science, 367(6483), pp. 1235–1239
  • De Falco G., Molinaroli E., Conforti A., Simeone S., Tonielli R. 2017. Biogenic sediments from coastal ecosystems to beach-dune systems: implications for the adaptation of mixed and carbonate beaches to future sea level rise. Biogeosciences, 14, 3191-3205
  • Harris, D.L., Rovere, A., Casella, E., Power, H., Canavesio, R., Collin, A., Pomeroy, A., Webster, J.M., Parravicini, V., 2018. Coral reef structural complexity provides important coastal protection from waves under rising sea levels. Sci. Adv. 4, eaao4350
  • McClelland, H.L.O., Barbarin, N., Beaufort, L., Hermoso, M., Ferretti, P., Greaves, M., Rickaby, R.E.M. (2016). Calcification response of a key phytoplankton family to millennial-scale environmental change. Scientific Reports 6, 34263
  • Rovere, A., Casella, E., Harris, D.L., Lorscheid, T., Nandasena, N.A.K., Dyer, B., Sandstrom, M.R., Stocchi, P., D’Andrea, W.J., Raymo, M.E., 2017. Giant boulders and Last Interglacial storm intensity in the North Atlantic. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 114, 201712433
  • Simeone S., Molinaroli E., Conforti A., De Falco G. 2019. Impact of ocean acidification on the carbonate sediment budget of a temperate mixed beach. Climatic Change, 227-242

Case studies

  • Sea-level changes during Quaternary interglacias.
  • Reconstruction of the nature, timing and causes of millennial-scale climate variability during the Quaternary through the analysis of marine sediments.
  • Characterisation and effects of dust transport from the Saharan area to the Mediterranean area.
  • Case study: the Venice Lagoon. Various environmental issues including the morphological and sedimentological effects of large ships and cargo ships in the Lagoon.

Equipment

  • ICP-OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma - Optical Emission Spectrometer) Optima 5300 DV, brand Perkin-Elmer
  • ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry) NexION 350X, brand Perkin-Elmer
  • Laser Granulometer Mastersizer 3000, brand name Malvern Panalytical
  • AS200 control vibro-siever, brand name Retsch
  • Microwave oven Ethos UP, brand Milestone
  • Microscopes with transmitted and reflected light, brand Zeiss and Leica

Research projects

  • WARMCOASTS - Sea level and extreme waves in a warmer world - ERC Starting Grant 802414
  • IRIDYA - Integrated Reconstruction of Ice sheet DYnamics during late quaternary Arctic climatic transitions, Ministry of University and Research, Arctic Research Programme
  • BIOROSS - Bioconstructional organisms from the Ross Sea under Climate Change: ecosystems and 'oasis' of biodiversity to monitor and protect, Ministry of University and Research - National Research Programme in Antarctica PNRA18_00237 - D
  • AMUSED - A MUltidisciplinary Study of past global climatE changes from continental and marine archives in the MeDiterranean region, Dipartimento Ambiente dell'Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia
  • CNR and MIUR - Temporal evolution of the seabed in highly dynamic environments in the northern Adriatic Sea
  • Venice Port Authority - Environmental status of the Venice Lagoon and elements for the sustainable planning of port activities

Last update: 17/04/2024