Mineralogy and petrology

Mineralogy

The scientific activity is mainly devoted to the study of crystal chemistry of minerals (pyroxenes, olivines and spinels) from mafic and ultramafic rocks and the applications in petrological and thermo-dynamical problems. In addition the scientific interest is focused on order-disorder mechanism in synthetic and natural spinels and their dependence on composition, temperature and time. At present, the geochemistry of trace elements of spinels from different occurrences, from meteorites to kimberlites, is one of the main subjects of interest. Other topics include the heavy mineral association of siliciclastic rocks, the study of archaeological material by means of several spectroscopies and environmental mineralogy and geochemistry.

 

Petrology

The main research topics are the Late Proterozoic magmatisms of S.Francisco-Congo craton (Gondwana) probably related to the Rodinia break-up; the evolution of the sub-litospheric mantle under the South Americam Platform from Early Proterozoic to Cenozoic; the Triassic magmatism of the Adria Plate; the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) and its implications in the Triassic-Jurassic boundary mass extinction; the evolution of the Parana magmatic Province; the study of mantle xenoliths present in different geodynamic setting; the magmatic evolution of S. Jorge Island (Azore islands); the Jurassic alkaline magmatism of the Lusitan Basin (Portugal); archaeometry.

Last update: 04-29-2018 - 14:53