Sciences and Teaching of Natural Systems

General Part 1.1 Historical developments: From the Challenger cruise to Count Marsili, the contribution of marine geology in the definition of the models of global tectonics, DSDP/ODP/IODP projects, current situation and future developments on marine geology. Bathyal plains and ocean circulation 2.1 The mid-ocean ridges: Morphology and structure of the oceanic crust, heat flow, mechanisms of effusion, hydrothermal vent, benthic communities. 2.2 Physical Oceanography: The pycnocline, the surfacial circulation, the boundary currents; Coriolis and Eckman. The deep water circulation, formation of bottom water, the geostrophic currents. Upwelling phenomena and influences on productivity and climate. Estuarine and antiestuarine system, superficial and deep water circulation in the Mediterranean Sea. 2.3 Bathyal Plain: Deep sea morphology and sedimentation. Transport mechanisms and compensation depth. Biological productivity and sedimentation. Sedimentation and climate, paleoclimatic indicators ( transfer equations, stable isotopes ). Sapropel. The continental slopes 3.1 Gravitational instability: Types and factors controlling instability, the evolution of the phenomenon ( pre-syn and post-break). Granular debris, turbidity. 3.2 Canyon and turbidity currents: Canyon and ocean passages. the turbidity currents, evidence and hypotheses. Alluvial fans and turbidite channels. 3.3 Currents and contourity: The contur currents and the thermohaline circulation, erosive and depositional features. Cascadity and nepheloyid layers. The continental shelves 4.1Physiography: The shelf break, shelf morphology and geodynamic context, shelves in glacial and periglacial areas, temperate and tropical shelves. 4.2 Depositional processes: wave, current and tide dominated shelves. Coastal and deltaic environment, tempestites. Sedimentation modern palimpsest and relict sediment. 4.3 Stratigraphy of the sheft: Regression and transgression, mechanisms of shoreline retreat, relict morphologies. Geological mapping of the continental shelves. The sequence stratigraphy 5.1 The seismic stratigraphy: Terminations and basal unconformity, acoustic facies, coastal onlap. 5.2 The sequence stratigraphy: The accommodation space available, depositional sequences, lowstand, transgressive, highstand systems tracts and forced regression. Parasequences and their stacking pattern. 5.3 The sea level changes: Change of relative sea level and its controlling factors. Quaternary glacioeustatisy and its characteristics (amplitude, frequency, asymmetry, depth range ). Application of sequence stratigraphy to Quaternary. Applicative studies 6.1 Mineral resources: polymetallic nodules, phosphorites, placers, gas hydrates, offshore oil exploration, search of relict sand for artificial beach nourishment. Rights of exploitation and Law Of the Sea (LOS) 6.2 Risks: submarine landslides, tsunamis, extreme storm surges, coastal erosion, volcanic activity, dispersion of pollutants. Neotectonic studies for coastal settlements. 6.3 Civil engineering and other applications of submarine cables laying out. Emplacement of oil rigs. Marine archaeology. Pollution and environmental studies. 6.4 Geological mapping of continental shelf: UBSU, systems tracts and depositional systems. Mechanisms of retreat of the shoreline, landforms and erosional remnants. Variability of methods and techniques according to the characteristics of the area. The Italian seas 7.1 The Tyrrhenian Sea: The central volcanoes and bathyal plains of the southern Tyrrhenian, the ODP Leg 107, the 41°n parallel, the canyon of the Sardinian, Calabrian, Sicilian and Ligurian margins. 7.2 The Ionian: The Taranto valley, Ionian offshore. 7.3 The Sicily Channel: physiography and regional tectonics, volcanism and mineral resources. 7.4 The Adriatic: physiography and stratigraphy, the Po and Apennine sediment distribution, mineral resources.

Basic knowledge of geology, physics (optics and acoustics) physical oceanography and marine chemistry

E. Seibold and W.H. Berger, The sea floor. An introduction to Marine Geology, Springer Verlag, Third edition J. Kennett, Marine Geology, Prentice Hall

The evaluation of the profit will be made by an oral examination designed to assess the knowledge acquired during the course. During the oral examination may be interpreted geophysical data or metric layers of the seabed, to test the ability of interpretation of the same.

General Part 1.1 Historical developments: From the Challenger cruise to Count Marsili, the contribution of marine geology in the definition of the models of global tectonics, DSDP/ODP/IODP projects, current situation and future developments on marine geology. Bathyal plains and ocean circulation 2.1 The mid-ocean ridges: Morphology and structure of the oceanic crust, heat flow, mechanisms of effusion, hydrothermal vent, benthic communities. 2.2 Physical Oceanography: The pycnocline, the surfacial circulation, the boundary currents; Coriolis and Eckman. The deep water circulation, formation of bottom water, the geostrophic currents. Upwelling phenomena and influences on productivity and climate. Estuarine and antiestuarine system, superficial and deep water circulation in the Mediterranean Sea. 2.3 Bathyal Plain: Deep sea morphology and sedimentation. Transport mechanisms and compensation depth. Biological productivity and sedimentation. Sedimentation and climate, paleoclimatic indicators ( transfer equations, stable isotopes ). Sapropel. The continental slopes 3.1 Gravitational instability: Types and factors controlling instability, the evolution of the phenomenon ( pre-syn and post-break). Granular debris, turbidity. 3.2 Canyon and turbidity currents: Canyon and ocean passages. the turbidity currents, evidence and hypotheses. Alluvial fans and turbidite channels. 3.3 Currents and contourity: The contur currents and the thermohaline circulation, erosive and depositional features. Cascadity and nepheloyid layers. The continental shelves 4.1Physiography: The shelf break, shelf morphology and geodynamic context, shelves in glacial and periglacial areas, temperate and tropical shelves. 4.2 Depositional processes: wave, current and tide dominated shelves. Coastal and deltaic environment, tempestites. Sedimentation modern palimpsest and relict sediment. 4.3 Stratigraphy of the sheft: Regression and transgression, mechanisms of shoreline retreat, relict morphologies. Geological mapping of the continental shelves. The sequence stratigraphy 5.1 The seismic stratigraphy: Terminations and basal unconformity, acoustic facies, coastal onlap. 5.2 The sequence stratigraphy: The accommodation space available, depositional sequences, lowstand, transgressive, highstand systems tracts and forced regression. Parasequences and their stacking pattern. 5.3 The sea level changes: Change of relative sea level and its controlling factors. Quaternary glacioeustatisy and its characteristics (amplitude, frequency, asymmetry, depth range ). Application of sequence stratigraphy to Quaternary. Applicative studies 6.1 Mineral resources: polymetallic nodules, phosphorites, placers, gas hydrates, offshore oil exploration, search of relict sand for artificial beach nourishment. Rights of exploitation and Law Of the Sea (LOS) 6.2 Risks: submarine landslides, tsunamis, extreme storm surges, coastal erosion, volcanic activity, dispersion of pollutants. Neotectonic studies for coastal settlements. 6.3 Civil engineering and other applications of submarine cables laying out. Emplacement of oil rigs. Marine archaeology. Pollution and environmental studies. 6.4 Geological mapping of continental shelf: UBSU, systems tracts and depositional systems. Mechanisms of retreat of the shoreline, landforms and erosional remnants. Variability of methods and techniques according to the characteristics of the area. The Italian seas 7.1 The Tyrrhenian Sea: The central volcanoes and bathyal plains of the southern Tyrrhenian, the ODP Leg 107, the 41°n parallel, the canyon of the Sardinian, Calabrian, Sicilian and Ligurian margins. 7.2 The Ionian: The Taranto valley, Ionian offshore. 7.3 The Sicily Channel: physiography and regional tectonics, volcanism and mineral resources. 7.4 The Adriatic: physiography and stratigraphy, the Po and Apennine sediment distribution, mineral resources.

Basic knowledge of geology, physics (optics and acoustics) physical oceanography and marine chemistry

E. Seibold and W.H. Berger, The sea floor. An introduction to Marine Geology, Springer Verlag, Third edition J. Kennett, Marine Geology, Prentice Hall

The evaluation of the profit will be made by an oral examination designed to assess the knowledge acquired during the course. During the oral examination may be interpreted geophysical data or metric layers of the seabed, to test the ability of interpretation of the same.