The response of sedimentary environments to subtle changes in biotic and abiotic equilibria can lead to significant landscape modifications. A deep understanding of the physical and biological processes governing the evolution of sedimentary environments is crucial not only for developing new effective strategies to protect them from ongoing natural and anthropic stresses, but also for investigating ancient sedimentary successions. These successions serve as a unique repository to link evolution of these environments with features of related sedimentary products.

Our ongoing researches focuses on a wide spectrum of sedimentary environments, including carbonate platforms, rivers, estuaries and deltas. These modern and ancient study systems are sited worldwide, and include some outstanding cases like the Dolomite Mountains and the Venice Lagoon, in Italy. Integrated modern approaches, involving 3D architectural reconstructions, geochemical analyses and numerical modelling, are used to understand internal structure and depositional dynamics of these systems.

Professors coordinating and developing projects related to this research pathway: Andrea D'Alpaos, Massimiliano Zattin, Anna Breda, Massimiliano Ghinassi, Nereo Preto, Alvise Finotello, Valerio Olivetti