United States

The neo-born Majella UNESCO Global Geopark hosts more than one hundred mapped caves, some of which represent important geosites and touristic attractions. Underground karst systems are often excellent environments to investigate and characterize the stratigraphical relations, tridimensional spatial organization of geological structures, morphologies, and fluid flow pathways in the subsurface, as well as to reconstruct paleosismology, paleoclimate and landscape evolution over geological time. The Cavallone Caves geosite (CCG), in the southern sector of the massif, is one of the most important cave systems of the Geopark, being a tourist attraction since 1893, and as such one of the earliest show caves in Italy. This cave is part of a km-long inactive hypogene karst system formed by the rising of H2S-rich fluids, which turned into sulfuric acid in the oxygenated cave environment close to past water table. This site was recently investigated with a multidisciplinary approach involving structural geology, petrography, mineralogy, geochemistry, and geomorphology. Our geological investigations allowed to reconstruct the deformation history affecting this sector of the Majella massif and to unveil the main sources and the permeability pathways able to channelize rising H2S fluids from depth (Pisani et al., 2021). The geomorphological observations and the analysis of the conduits’ spatial organization indicate the presence of multiple phases of sub-horizontal karst development, reflecting the migration of the sulfuric water-table and the uplift of the Majella massif over time. The oldest (highest) cave level has been dated with 40Ar/39Ar geochronology on secondary alunite to 1.52 +/- 0.28 Ma, marking the exact timing of speleogenesis (and thus water table position) at the time of formation (D’Angeli et al., 2019). Furthermore, fault zones and hypogene karst conduits constitute a network of high-permeability structures for secondary and tertiary migration of hydrocarbons, as proven by the presence of bitumen-impregnated speleothems and hydrocarbon manifestations in the cave and surrounding outcrops. The CCG and its extraordinary location proved to be a perfect laboratory for karst sciences, structural geology, geomorphology, and a significant outcrop analog of deep hypogene karstified reservoirs. Furthermore, its touristic character makes it an ideal site to explain and promote the geodiversity of the cave and its surroundings, which covers multiple aspects of the Majella geological heritage.

SGI 2021

The Cavallone Caves geotrail project: explaining the Majella UNESCO Global Geopark

**Attenzione, gli orari riportati nel PROGRAMMA (icona calendario) si riferiscono al fuso orario locale dell’utente. Il fuso orario ufficiale del Congresso è Central European Time (CET).**

L'Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e Geofisica Sperimentale - OGS e il Dipartimento di Matematica e Geoscienze dell'Università di Trieste sono orgogliosi di ospitare il 90° Congresso della Società Geologica Italiana a Trieste dal 14 al 16 settembre 2021. La modalità del congresso è interamente online.

Con il motto "Geologia senza frontiere" questo evento mira a promuovere le Scienze della Terra come disciplina scientifica proiettata nel futuro, oltre i confini geografici, politici e disciplinari, per comprendere meglio l'interno del Pianeta Terra e la struttura del sottosuolo, difendere la società da pericolosi eventi geologici, comprendere meglio la variabilità climatica, pianificare l'utilizzo delle georisorse in modo etico e nel rispetto dell'ambiente.


**Please note, times listed in the SCHEDULE tab (calendar icon) reflect YOUR LOCAL TIME ZONE. The main timezone for this conference will be Central European Summer Time.**

The National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics - OGS and the Department of Mathematics and Geosciences of the University of Trieste are proud to host the 90th Congress of the Italian Geological Society in Trieste on 14-16 September 2021.  The Congress will be held entirely online.

With the motto "Geology Without Borders" this event aims to promote Earth Sciences as a scientific discipline projected into the future, beyond geographical, political and disciplinary boundaries, to better understand the interior of Planet Earth and the structure of the subsurface, defend society from dangerous geological events, better understand climatic variability, plan the use of geo-resources in an ethical way and respecting the environment.


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Earth Sciences should be understood not only as necessary for a better understanding of the interior of the planet Earth, but also as a defense of society from dangerous geological events, for the understanding of climatic variations, for the planning and use of georesources in a ethical and respecting and protecting the environment.

poster

The combination of new technologies in data collection, storage, modelling and visualization has recently provided the tools to turn 2D geologic mapping into 3D, which is useful to optimize information, facilitating immediate understanding of geologic architecture even for non-experts. In this perspective, with the aim to promote also geotourism in the Regional Reserve of Montalbano Jonico Badlands (MT, Italy), we are implementing a 3D geological map, from a 2D geological map, at 1:5.000 scale. The Quaternary marine clayey hillslopes of the Reserve belong to the inner margin of the Bradanic Through and show typical landforms giving rise to a stunning badland landscape. These forms derive from erosion, due to water washout, in clay-rich lithologies slopes, characterized by a high drainage density, scarce vegetation cover and high energy relief. In the past thirty years, several studies allowed to highlight, exposed in the badlands of the Reserve, one of the best representative marine sedimentary section outcropping on the Earth, offering the opportunity to study and analyze in detail the stratigraphical constraints close to the Lower – Middle Pleistocene boundary and the paleoclimatic evolution during the Marine Isotope Stage 19 interglacial stage (e.g. Marino et al., 2020, and references therein). The 3D geological model was built using the software Move, a powerful platform that allowed to combine a DEM 5x5m resolution, 2D large scale geological map, field data acquired with mobile/tablet and any kind of survey data, as geologic cross-sections and wells logs. The use of three-dimensional cartography makes much easier to visualise how the proposed geo-itinerary develops between the geological and geomorphological features of the area. As a simple and diverse output, 3D cartography could help to promote a broader communication of the scientific topics and the awareness of the importance of the geological heritage of this area for cultural, educational and other local sustainable activities, sharing it with the stakeholders.

Three-dimensional geological cartography for geotourism: the Regional Reserve of Montalbano Jonico

The Dolomites are recognized as a UNESCO natural World Heritage site since 2009. The Geological heritage operating network of the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation (www.dolomitiunesco.info) is a team of provincial/regional administrations (Provincia autonoma di Bolzano, Provincia autonoma di Trento, Provincia di Belluno, Regione del Veneto, Regione autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia), the MUSE of Trento, the Parco Naturale Adamello Brenta Geopark, the Parco Naturale Paneveggio Pale di San Martino, and academic departments (University of Ferrara and University of Padova) representatives. With specific expertise in geology and geomorphology, this network is devoted to conservation, communication and enhancement of all the geological aspects of the property, implementing both long-term planning and immediate practical actions. Currently active projects are devoted to enhance the incredible geological legacy to the Dolomites, which is also the origin of the landscape we can see today: (i) geological map of the UNESCO Dolomites (1:150.000 scale); (ii) Dolomites World Heritage Geotrail (field guides for geo-tourists); (iii) Dolomites World Heritage Geotrail Immersive View (online spherical 360° image navigation of stunning geological landscapes from drone images); (iv)  identification and cataloguing (georeferenced inventory) of geological excellences; (v) degree awards and other initiatives on enhancement, conservation and research; (vi) geomorphological map of the Brenta Dolomites (in progress).

The UNESCO Dolomites geological heritage: present challenge and future opportunity

Protected areas of geoheritage which are populated are all faced with challenge of keeping balance between preserving the natural environment and human interventions for living, economic activities and safety. Dovžan Gorge Natural Monument is one of the most interesting geological sites in Slovenia. With the longest cross-section of fossil-rich Upper Paleozoic rocks exposed it is also one of more significant ones in the Southern Alps. The exposed section of 300–250 million years old rocks enables the study of the paleoenvironmental evolution of the depositional setting and the paleobiologic evolution of several fossil genera (Novak et al., 2019). As such it has high scientific as well as historical and educational value. Geological as well as the geomorphic phenomena were main reasons to protect the area as a natural monument in 1988 (Novak & Mrak, 2020). The area is part of the Karavanke mountain range and prone to various natural hazards. In historical sources many extreme weather events are recorded. The most recent one occurred in the night of 29-30 October 2018. Extreme rainfall has initiated torrent flows in the Tržiška Bistrica river basin that caused significant changes in Dovžan Gorge particularly in the riverbed. It also caused material damage on the infrastructure. Historical records reveal similar events that have taken place before and similar response to them (Novak & Mrak, 2019). This allows the assessment of the human perception of natural disasters and historical memory of them. The October 2018 event opened new aspects of nature protection and intensive economically controlled management of natural resources, in this case primarily forest. In the 2 following years interventions on slopes and in riverbed with heavy construction works severely intrude into natural environment and processes. The Dovžan Gorge Natural Monument has thus proven to be an excellent polygon for the study of natural processes and anthropogenic impacts. It therefore serves as a case study for balancing nature conservation, human activities and geohazard mitigation in geoheritage sites. The research is co-funded by the Slovenian National Committee of UNESCO, Internat. Geoscience Prog., grant No. C3330-21-456004, and its project IGCP 692 - Geoheritage for Geohazard Resilience

Tackling geohazard in populated geoheritage sites

Since the Middle Ages, Pisa was a very important center for the production of tiles and bricks using the clay of Arno and Serchio rivers. Our study focused on bricks sampled from15 buildings (both religious and civil) aged between the 12th and 17th centuries in Pisa and its neighboring territory. Investigation of iconographic and cartographic sources, together with mensio-chronological measurements were carried out to ascertain the chronology of the constructions. Typology of the mortars and binders of the wall hangings were further studied. We note that archaeomagnetic analyses on these brick ensembles were also carried out as part of this project (Genevey et al., 2019). In thin section, the mixtures of the bricks are homogeneous, while different textural features are present, hallowing grouping by morphology and granulometry of the binder and by the reciprocal relationships between the different components. The use of the same raw material, maintained for a very long time, is evident. These are artifacts obtained starting from a clayey material containing silicate debris largely attributable to quartz both in single crystals and in polycrystalline aggregates with a morphology from sub-angular to angular, and therefore not attributable to the addition of sandy components. This fact seems to indicate, rather than a supply from the Arno sediments, a source of the raw material from the deposits of smaller watercourses. The isotropic red-colored matrix due to iron oxidation - due to the firing of the bricks in furnaces with excess oxygen (oxidizing environment) at temperatures between 800 and 980 ° C - are common to all the samples, and the presence of recrystallized calcium carbonate, that involved calcareous fragments probably added to increase the porosity of the building and reduce its weight. The calcareous inclusions have a fine granulometry and are evenly distributed in the mixture, while the quantities of limestone are variable. The qualitative composition is homogeneous, while the relationships between silicon and calcium change. The comparison of the textural and compositional characteristics of the bricks of Pisa with those of the Calcinaia bricks shows considerable similarities. Based on these results we can hypothesize the origin of all these bricks from the area of Calcinaia where the presence of brick kilns is documented since the XVI century and where the nearby presence of the Arno river made transport in the city of Pisa easy.

Origin of Tuscan architectural bricks a multidisciplinary analyses

In this note we illustrate a joint project carried out by ISPRA and Monti Sibillini National Park focused on the 2016 Central Italy earthquakes surface faulting enhancement and protection along the Monte Vettore - Monte Bove fault system. The project aims at increasing public awareness to natural hazards within the territory of the park, and to keep the memory of the event through the enhancement of such highly scientific value sites. In fact, the coseismic ruptures induced along the Monte Vettore - Monte Bove fault system by the two main shocks (24 August and 30 October) represent the largest and most documented surface faulting example in Italy. Three areas have been identified along the Monte Vettore – Monte Bove system to be preserved and to be pointed out with the aim of showing and describe the most evident geological evidences of this geological event: at Colli Alti e Bassi, where the recent coseismic rupture is marked by a white stripe at the base of the fault plane, allowing to estimate the amount of displacement equal to about 60 cm; along the Cordone del Vettore fault scarp, where is possible to observe a total amount of displacement of about two meters high and along a gully in the southern slope of Monte Vettoretto. The project consists of a geological itinerary marked by ten viewpoints, where information boards illustrate surface faulting phenomena and some other ground effects induced by the 2016 earthquake. Two other introductive panels, in Visso and in Arquata del Tronto, invite the visitors to join the geological itinerary. Those interested in learning more in depth about the 2016 Central Italy earthquake, will be able to access directly from their smartphone to further multimedia web resources (i.e., videos and papers), through a QR code. The project comprehends also some protection works against weathering on the fault mirrors revealed by the 2016 earthquakes.

A project for the protection and enhancement of surface faulting effects induced by the 2016 Central Italy seismic sequence along the Monte Vettore – Monte Bove fault system

In the Ragusa area, in the carbonate rock levels known in the literature as the "Ragusa Formation", the uppermost Irminio member presents bituminous impregnations in the Tabuna and Streppenosa localities. Rock impregnated with natural bitumen is called 'asphaltic rock'; locally, it is also known as “Pietra Pece” (i.e. pitch stone). Asphaltic rock was mined here either in opencast and in tunnels, as in the Tabuna and Cava Pece mines; in an early phase, the Streppenosa and Castelluccio sites were also important. Pitch stone is characterized by excellent physical-mechanical properties and it has been used extensively over the centuries as building material: for instance, it is an ideal material for road paving and, in an industrial context, for hydrocarbon extraction. Indeed, it was at the end of the 18th century, when Dolomieu in his 'Memoire sur les iles ponces et catalogue raisonné des produits de l'Etna' spoke of a soft limestone, impregnated with hydrocarbons: 'under the July sun, the black stone can be cut with a knife', that it became known throughout Europe. Extraction and marketing were managed at an early stage by foreign companies, and the asphalt from Sicily arrived on the roads of half of Europe: Berlin had more than a million square metres of Ragusa asphalt road surfaces; other cities worth mentioning are Paris, Amsterdam, London, Milan and Palermo. Over the years, the extraction phases underwent inevitable evolutions and changes, oscillating between a natural preference for the use of rock as road surfacing and the extraction of bitumen itself: this latter was preferred by the first A.B.C.D., which built a battery of sixteen furnaces for the distillation of asphaltic rocks. But if, after the Second World War, the asphalt-related industries underwent a vast and irreversible process of devaluation, since bitumen had by then supplanted by compressed asphalt in road paving, the Sicilian Region intervened by encouraging the extraction of 'pitch stone', typical productions and the very reconversion of the asphalt industry, which saw the birth of the second A. B.C.D., where the first A. B.C.D. was built, where the production of cement obtained from exhausted asphalt rocks from distillation was added. It was in 1944 that A. Ancione SpA appeared on the Hyblaean market of SE Sicily: in this area, now disused, the enormous investments were done and there it is possible to investigate the production cycle divided into four large production areas: asphalt tiles, road asphalt (later replaced by bituminous conglomerates), mastic and lime. The study punctually analyses the first three of these sectors, which are intimately linked to C.da Tabuna quarry district and to pitchstone marketing. Finally, it is worth noting that the Tabuna-Streppenosa site has been proposed for the establishment of a Geosite of national importance pursuant to L. R. 25/2012 and with D. A. 238/2018 it has been included in the list of sites of geological interest of the Sicily Region.

The Pietra Pece: mining history and production cycle

Geoheritage is increasing its global and local importance not only as a scientific research topic, but also in relation to socio-economic activities that can benefit from Georesources. In this context, sites of geological interest may represent hot-spots for outdoor activities connected to Earth Sciences (e.g., geotourism, hiking and climbing). The UNESCO IGCP 3GEO project aims at offering innovative digital tools for geoheritage and geoscience communication through geoclimbing and geotrekking activities. In particular, climbing and trekking sites within established or aspiring geoparks, and other natural areas, have high geoheritage potential (Garcia-Rodriguez & Fernandez-Escalante, 2017; Ruban & Ermolaev, 2020), and are also suitable for education activities as well (Bollati et al., 2018). The goal of this project is the development of multimedia tools for geoheritage and Earth Science communication (Perotti et al., 2020) through a global network of iconic geoheritage sites equipped for climbing or featuring trekking trails. These sites include UNESCO Global Geoparks or natural areas (e.g., PARNA Chapada Diamantina, Kütralkura, Estrela, Psiloritis, Rocca di Cerere, Sesia Val Grande) in countries (Brazil, Chile, Greece, Italy, Oman, Portugal, South Africa, Spain) spread over four continents. Climbing cliffs and trekking routes are selected according to scientific and cultural, aesthetic and socio-economic values and their employability. A set of innovative geomatic techniques (e.g., 3D photogrammetry, Structure from Motion, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle surveys) are the tools for displaying and communicating geoheritage properties along selected geocliffs and geotrails. These web-based multimedia materials (e.g., 3D model of climbing cliffs) will be shared out among different users (e.g., schools, universities and general public) both for virtual reality and outdoor activities. The multidisciplinary and multicultural context of the 3GEO project is the key for a 360 degrees’ experience of geoheritage in Geoparks or natural protected areas, taking into account accessibility issues and global travel restrictions.

Geoclimbing & Geotrekking in Geoparks: a new UNESCO IGCP project for geoheritage communication and education

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary, the Geological Survey of Slovenia published the book “Fossils of Slovenia - A Look into the Past for Reflection on the Future", authored by Jurkovšek and Kolar-Jurkovšek, which comprises 263 pages, 33 plates with fossils and 411 cited works. The book presents a selection of Slovenian fossils that are important for understanding the geological time and environment in which rocks containing fossils were formed, and consequently for knowing the geological structure of Slovenia. The emphasis is on macrofossils, i.e. those that are already visible to the naked eye without optical or electronic aids. In the introductory chapters, in addition to some basics of paleontology, the path from the earliest evolutionary ideas to the beginnings of paleontology as an independent scientific discipline is presented. The emphasis is on the modern understanding of fossils, their importance for biostratigraphy and paleoecology, and for the development of modern evolutionary thought. A minor part explains the geotectonic definition of Slovenia, which is located at the junction of the Southern Alps, Dinarides, Eastern Alps and Pannonian Basin. The most extensive part is devoted to geological, biological and climatic events on Earth from the Precambrian to the present day. Part on each geological period provides data on important fossils and their finds in Slovenia, which define rocks by age, paleogeography and paleoecology. It is therefore a kind of biostratigraphic walk through the geological history of Slovenia. All geological periods are balanced according to their duration, spread of sedimentary rocks in Slovenia and frequency of fossil finds. The selection of localities and fossils is largely subjective and depends on the level of research. Moreover, a large number of additional research data are available for the Cenozoic formations, which are economically somewhat better researched in Slovenia due to the deposits of non-metallic mineral raw materials. The key reason for writing the book Fossils of Slovenia is that fossils are an important part of Slovenian (and world) natural heritage, which in the past, together with numerous collections of fossils scattered in various institutions in Slovenia and abroad, have often disappeared or been destroyed over time; we know about them from mentions in the older literature. In this book, all important studies of Slovenian and foreign researchers of fossils found in Slovenia are taken into account. Once it used to be that the present is the key to understanding the past, but today in geology the other paradigm that learns us the past (in many cases) is the key to understanding the present (and probably also to predict the future) is equally valid. Therefore, it is worth thinking what the human species has to offer in the future, especially with regard to climate change.

Fossils of Slovenia

According to the Alzheimer Association, dementia is an overall term that covers a wide range of specific medical conditions such as progressive loss of memory and other neuropsychological functions (e.g., praxis, speech).  These symptoms are usually severe enough to impair a patient’s daily life. Alzheimer's disease (AD) accounts for two thirds of dementia syndromes in people older than 65 years.  According to the World Alzheimer Record 2020, over 50 million people are living with dementia worldwide. And this number is expected to double every 20 years, reaching 152 million cases of dementia in 2050.  The Dementia in Europe Yearbook 2019 recored that in Italy there were 1.279.366 cases in 2018 (2.12% of population), which are set to increase to 1.460.570 cases in 2025 (2.44% of population) and 2.247.715 cases in 2050 (4.13% of population). It is therefore imperative for governments, policy makers, scientific and cultural institutions to be able to respond properly to the challenges that come with a rising number of people with dementia within their countries. In this context, cultural institutions as museums play a pivotal role in dementia awareness and education. They can serve as safe places in which run a variety of activities through an ethical use of their collections as encouraged by Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society (2005). However, the existing literature focuses particularly on museum-led programs involving art galleries and collections (e.g., the MoMa Alzheimer’s Project). The goal of this presentation is to introduce attendees to the programs for people with dementia and their caregivers that have been developed at the Museum of Planetary Sciences (MSP) in Prato. This presentation will show the positive use of meteorite samples in multisensorial activities aiming to improve patients’ and their carers’ mood and self-esteem. The impact of such non-medical treatment, its incidence on lowering dementia caregivers stress levels, and the ascertain of the participants’ satisfaction levels will be also provided. Since its establishment in 2005, MSP is actively engaged in creating successful experiences for visitors with disabilities (e.g., blindness, visual impairment, autism), and is piloting at a national level diverse multisensory stimulation programs for people with dementia and their caregivers using astromaterials. For evaluation, quantitative and qualitative data were collected using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q), the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) test, and the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) interview. This presentation will also present the activities that have been performed during the Covid-19 pandemic. By assisting the patients and their caregivers, MSP provides an example of a much more comprehensive and meaningful museum therapy project, which represent a glimpse into the future of scientific museum programming.

Meteoritics as a source of well-being for people with dementia: an experience in the Planetary Sciences Museum of Prato (Italy)

Likewise other tidally-influenced environments, depositional and erosional processes, subsidence and sea-level changes have strongly modified the coastal landscape of Northern Adriatic lagoons over last millennia. Such rapid transformations induced significant consequences on the human settlement and, consequently, on the archaeological visibility of the area, which is still largely unexplored. We present here six metal finds fortuitously retrieved by fishermen in last decades in front of the barrier islands of the Marano Lagoon. The finds, immediately recognized as swords by their shape, were covered by a thick concretion mainly constituted of sand and coastal shell. Moreover, two items were inserted into a wooden sheath. Multi-analytical analyses carried out on the artefacts (X-ray radiography, laboratory- and synchrotron-based X-ray computed microtomography, radiocarbon dating and typo-chronology) combined with the study of the coastal paleo-environment (mainly based on historical cartography and remote sensing) allowed to define the main features of the items and to shed light both on the historical importance of the area as well on the significant morphological changes occurred in this coastal sector over the last millennium. For the first time, we are able to interpret an historical map of the 16th century, drawn by the Venetian cartographer Cristoforo Sabbadino, that depicts in detail the shoals along the coast and reports a unique wooden structure located in the sea, in front of one of the tidal mouths entering in the Marano Lagoon. The presented data indicate that the Marano Lagoon represented a major hub in Northern Adriatic during Late Middle Ages and early Modern Age connecting inland Europe with the Mediterranean. Moreover, the research highlights the onset of coastal erosion occurred in the last century after a phase of relatively geomorphic stability, possibly deriving from the intensification of human impact and climate change.

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Three-dimensional geological cartography for geotourism: the Regional Reserve of Montalbano Jonico

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