Geografia Fisica e Geomorfologia

 

 

The research group investigates the geomorphological dynamics in different morphoclimatic contexts (from glacial to arid environments), focusing on the effects of past and on-going climatic changes.

Research topics include landforms mapping, investigation on soils and Quaternary deposits and geoarcheological approach to archaeological sites and landscapes aimed at reconstructing the relationship between climate, environment and humans since the Prehistory. The enhancement of geographical-physical landscape, with implications on the territory, is proposed through the detection of its resources in term of geodiversity, pedodiversity and related geoheritage, and through the analysis on their evolution in response to climate change.

Such topics are investigated through multidisciplinary methods available at the laboratories managed by the staff of the research group (Soils and Sediments Lab, Physical Geography and Dendrogeomophology and Physical geography Lab, Micromorphology Lab, SEM Lab).

 

LINEE di ricerca:

- Geomorphological mapping in different morphoclimatic contexts (from glacial to arid)

- The response of sensitive environments to climate change

- Dynamic of the critical zone

- Quaternary Geology of glacial environments and loess: mapping, geochronology, palaeoenvironmental reconstruction

- Dendrogeomorphological analyses to detect the frequency of geomorphological events

- Analysis of the relationship between dendrogeomorphological reconstructions, geomorphological mapping and sediment connectivity

- Soil memory: paleoenvironmental fluctuations in the soil/paleosols record

- The present and past environmental control over soil organic matter dynamics.

- Human-environmental interaction: a geoarchaeological approach to landscape archaeology and site formation processes

- - Landscape archaeology and exploitation of natural resources in the archaeological record

- The origin of the Anthropocene

- Biogeochemistry of rock weathering: from pristine natural settings to cultural heritage conservation

- Geomorphological heritage assessment, promotion and monitoring in relation to climate change

- Geodiversity analyses at local to regional scale

- Dissemination strategies and proposals using data derived from scientific research

- Earth Science education: strategies and applications for secondary schools (geotrails, fieldwork, new educational technologies and methodologies)

 

GRUPPO

Manuela Pelfini (Full Professor) (manuela.pelfini@unimi.it)

Luca Trombino (Associate professor) (luca.trombino@unimi.it)

Andrea Zerboni (Associate Professor) (andrea.zerboni@unimi.it)

Irene Maria Bollati (Researcher) (irene.bollati@unimi.it)

Chiara Compostella (Lab technician) (chiara.compostella@unimi.it)

Anna Masseroli (Post Doctoral researcher) (anna.masseroli@unimi.it)

Roberto S. Azzoni (Post Doctoral researcher) (robertosergio.azzoni@unimi.it)

Luca Forti (PhD student) (luca.forti@unimi.it)

Ying-Li Wu (PhD student) (ying.wu@unimi.it)

Gianluca Tronti (PhD student) (gianluca.tronti@unimi.it)