Sedimentology

Through the sedimentological study of the successions, palaeoenvironments are defined and consequently the climatic variations that characterised them. In particular, the research group is focusing on the events of the last 200ky. The study areas are aligned longitudinally: California (USA), Canary Islands (SP), Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Balearic Islands (SP), Sardinia (IT), Tuscany (IT), Latium (IT), Apulia (IT) and Crete (IT).
The research was carried out by means of sedimentological analyses of both outcrops and well successions, three-dimensional reconstruction of the geometries of the various sedimentary bodies recognised and absolute dating by Luminescence (both OSL=quartz and pIRSL=k-feldspar) of the most significant stratigraphic intervals. This new dating technique has made it possible to precisely define the stratigraphic intervals studied and to associate known climatic events with ancient sedimentary environments.
Recently, research has been directed at assessing the anthropogenic impact on coastal evolution. In particular, on how man can influence ecosystem changes at the hundred-year scale, referring to the evouction of cold and temperate water coralligenous reefs (both present and fossil) in the Mediterranean.

Grain size analysis, software for statistical analysis (Gradistat), optical microscopes for petrography with both reflected and polarised light (DM750P and DM4500p) equipped with K3C photo camera, sw for LAS X image analysis.

Polo Bionaturalistico di Piandanna,
Via Piandanna 4, Sassari (SS) – 07100

Vincenzo Pascucci – Coordinator
Mario Giovanni De Luca – Researcher
Myriam Francesca Stelletti – Research Fellow
Giulia Cossu – Research Fellow
Giulia Laura Faedda – Dottoranda di Ricerca
Marta Lai – Dottoranda di Ricerca
Antonio Luigi Santonastaso – Research Fellow