Earth system dynamics, ocean basins evolution, and submarine geo-hazards
The sedimentary record preserved by oceanic basins preserves traces of Earth evolution, including tectonic plates dynamics, rock-fluid interaction, climate change, local and global paleo environmental changes, and geological events that, if they occurred today, would represent severe geological hazards to modern society and the environment.
The approach to ocean basins analysis is through subsurface geophysical prospecting, seafloor morphology analysis, stratigraphic correlation with coring and scientific drilling techniques.
The possible PhD themes of this section mainly focus on regional structural geology, sedimentology, paleoceanography, stratigraphy, submarine geomorphology applied to modern or ancient oceanic basins.
The methodological approach is through cross-disciplinary work implying interaction among marine geophysics, sediment core analysis, stratigraphic correlation, remote sensing, including classic stratigraphic, sedimentologic and structural field work, as well as geochemical, mineralogical and petrographic studies.
The following are high-priority (though not exclusive) research themes:
• Geological and geophysical exploration in polar environments for paleo-environmental reconstructions
• Ice stream dynamics from the marine sedimentary record
• Submarine landslides in deep water settings
• Mechanism and processes of submarine sediment mass transport
• Contouritic sedimentation and processes
• Sediment-fluid manifestations at the seafloor (mud volcanisms, gas venting)
• Gas hydrates
• The Mediterranean salt giant
• Geophysical methods to improve the seismic imaging of the subsurface (land and sea)