Dr Silvia Frisia
| Work Phone | (02) 4921 5402 |
|---|---|
| Fax | (02) 4921 5877 |
| Silvia.Frisia@newcastle.edu.au | |
| Position |
Senior Lecturer
School of Environmental and Life Sciences
|
| Office | GG15, Geology |
Biography
Silvia has specialised in carbonate mineralogy and geochemistry while doing her Master of Science research at Berkeley (USA). She used Transmission Electron Microscopy and stable isotope analyses to recognise multi-step dolomitisation in carbonate platforms. Subsequently, she pioneered the study of terrestrial carbonate micro-structural and micro-morphological analyses as tool to reconstruct changes in their environments of formation, and relate these changes to climate and environmental parameters. These studies became the baseline for speleothem-based palaeoclimate Subsequently, Silvia pioneered the application of synchrotron radiation micro X-Ray fluorescence spectroscopy to speleothem studies. A major breakthrough of synchrotron work was the detection of sulphate layers in stalagmites which recorded past volcanic eruptions.
The impact of Silvia's work is obviously circumscribed within the Earth Sciences community, and more specifically within carbonate and speleothem researchers. The overall impact in the specified communities is large, but small if compared to the impact of medical, ecological, economic research.
Qualifications
- Doctor of Research, University of Milan - Italy, 1991
- Master of Science, University of California, Berkeley - USA, 1983
Research
Research keywords
- C-fluxes in karst systems
- Carbonate Geochemistry
- Carbonate Mineralogy
- Geology
- Speleothems
- Synchrotron Radiation-based low temperature geochemistry
Research expertise
Carbonates: sedimentology, mineralogy and geochemistry. Fabrics, trace element composition and C isotope composition of calcite and aragonite cements formed in continental (cave deposits) and marine (pore-filling) settings. Diagenesis in carbonate platforms, with particular focus on dolomitization. Diagenesis in continental carbonates with implications for re-setting of chemical signals. Synchrotron radiation bases micr XRF spectroscopy applied to low temperature carbonate geochemistry.
Collaboration
Carbonate minerals petrology, geochemistry and crystallography focused on detecting and solving environmental problems.
Stratigraphy, sedimentary petrology and diagenesis of carbonate platforms.
Optical, Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy-based definition of carbonate minerals fabrics aimed at palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimate reconstructions.
C-fluxes and C-isotope exchange in Karst environments
Languages
- English
- French
- Italian
Fields of Research
| Code | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 040699 | Physical Geography And Environmental Geoscience Not Elsewhere Classified | 65 |
| 040310 | Sedimentology | 25 |
| 020499 | Condensed Matter Physics Not Elsewhere Classified | 10 |
Centres and Groups
Group
Administrative
Administrative expertise
Not yeat an expert
Teaching
Teaching keywords
- Carbonate Geochemistry
- Geology
- Geomorphology
- Global Changes
- Sedimentary Petrology
Teaching expertise
Sedimentology and diagenesis of carbonates.
Climate and environmental changes in the past 20.000 years reconstructed from geochemical and mineralogical properties of carbonates.
Geomorphology