Short biography:
I am an expert in carbonate crystals as archives of Earth's past environments and climates. Specifically, I use a micro and nano-scale approach using MAterials Science techniques such as Transmission Electron Microscopy and Synchrotron-Radiation BAsed micro XRF.
I have a Master of Science in Earth Sciences from UC Berkeley and a PhD from Universita' degli Studi di Milano.
I have worked for 15 years in the Museum of Science in Trento, Italy, focusing on speleothems, and then, in 2007, became an Academic at the University of Newcastle Australia. I am now Professor in Earth Sciences. Currently, I am Distinguished Visiting Academic at the Hungarian Academy of Science in Budapest.
Abstract:
In the talk I will present a synthesis of my works where I used both TEM and Synchrotron-Radiation based micro XRF. How this allowed the first detection of volcanism in stalagmite, how it can complement radiometric dating by chemical lamina counting, how it empowers reaching ancient subglacial environments in Antarctica that would be otherwise impossible to interrogate. I will show examples of our current palaeohydroclimate work in the Cook Islands and Laos (stalagmites) as well as our investigation of Trans Antarctic volcanism though subglacial carbonates from Boggs Valley (North Victoria Land). A short introduction of Synchrotron technique will be also given.
Arranged date for the seminar talk: Mar 02 at 14:15, 2020, BCCR Seminar room 4020, Jahnebakken 5