Transfer of elements and compounds in the geosphere and to the hydro- and biosphere
Using advanced chemical and isotope analyses PhD students in this group will study samples of
magmatic and metamorphic rocks in order to elucidate a broad range of scientific issues regarding
petrological and geochemical processes. These processes are directly linked to geodynamic and
environmental contexts often interacting with the hydrosphere and possibly the biosphere. Some of
the principal research themes in the group include:
the genesis of magmas in continental and oceanic environments;
the structure and composition of the lithosphere;
the characterization (length scale and nature) of mantle heterogeneities;
geochemical modelling of melt transport in the mantle;
the relationships between the geodynamic environment, magma sources and volcanism;
interaction processes between mantle derived magmas and crust;
re-equilibrium processes in the subsolidus related to crustal geodynamics;
mass transfer processes between the geosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere.
The topics developed will provide the students with hands-on experience in state-of-the-art
analytical techniques (EMPA, SIMS, LA-ICPMS, LA-MC-ICMPS, SEM, TEM, RAMAN, ability
to undertake complex separation chemistry with low procedure blanks) that will be useful not only
in academic research but also in the industry and in the applied field of geo-resources and
environmental impact assessment.
Researchers: Daniele Brunelli, Anna Cipriani, Tommaso Giovanardi, Federico Lugli, Maurizio Mazzucchelli.
