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

Centres and Groups

Group

• Environmental and Climate Change Research 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

Courses

• GEOS1050 - Earth Processes & Products
• GEOS2080 - Cities & Regions
• GEOS2200 - Earth's Sedimentary Rocks & Environments
• GEOS3280 - Global Change