I am a Italian researcher, active since July, 2001 in the fields of stratigraphy and carbonate sedimentology. My latest work was however on carbonate geochemistry and petrography, with special regard to contributions to the understanding of the long-term carbon cycle. I grew a significant experience on the Triassic (with special regard to isotope stratigraphy, biostratigraphy and plaeoclimatology) but I have also worked on Tertiary and Holocene carbonates, and on geochronology. My approach to geological problems is field-oriented but multidisciplinary at the same time, with particular attention to accuracy of field methods and a correct mathematical-statistical treatment of data. Most of my recent research (and especially those manuscripts that are submitted or in preparation) takes advantage of the excellent preservation of the Alpine Triassic for geochemical investigations that would be otherwise impossible.

I own a permanent position at the University of Padova, and I have been awarded an Alexander von Humboldt fellowship for experienced researchers (http://www.humboldt-foundation.de/web/1710.html) for a project I am carrying on in Bremen (Germany), while ensuring my regular teaching in Padova.

Education:

• February 5, 2001: PhD in Earth Sciences, University of Padova (Italy). Thesis discussed: “Ambiente deposizionale, ciclicità e climatologia della Formazione di Duerrenstein (Trias superiore, Dolomiti)” (Depositional environment, sedimentary cyclicity and paleoclimatology of the Duerrenstein Formation, Upper Triassic, Dolomites). Grades do not apply.

• July 9, 1996: Degree in Geological Sciences, University of Padova (Italy), obtained with the highest grade with a discussion on the Ladinian-Carnian boundary in its type area (“Il Ladino-Carnico dell'alta Val Badia”).

Research achievements:

 One reasearch topic I have consistently followed throughout my career has been the cyclostratigraphy of Mesozoic carbonates. My contributions in this field have been aimed at developing methods to isolate orbital cycles in carbonate platform strata. My approach combined detailed field work to collect stratigraphic data with maximum accuracy and resolution, and mathematical-statistical treatment of the data to identify significant periodicities. What I contributed to the general knowledge in this field was mostly to highlight contradictions, e.g., in the case of the Latemar controversy. In that framework, I was awarded the Statoil prize for best student poster at the 20th IAS (Dublin, September 13-15, 2000).

The evident problems of the Latemar platform's cyclostratigraphy, along with the inherent problems of cyclostratigraphic field work (i.e., poor control on measurement errors, and time-consuming procedures) has led me to temporarily shift my interests to geochronology and other aspects of Middle Triassic stratigraphy. My efforts have been thus aimed at providing a precise correlation framework for geochronology, with the use of high-resolution biostratigraphy, stable isotope stratigraphy and tephrastratigraphy. These efforts have resulted in the best correlations for this interval to date, and the recent definition of the Ladinian stage makes extensive reference to my work (Brack et al., 2005, Episodes, 28:233-244).

Finally, my research focused on developing new methods for cyclostratigraphy that could overcome the subjectivity of classical geological field studies. This latest part of my cyclostratigraphic research was carried on within the research projects of two PhD students, Dr. Marco Franceschi and Mr. Alessandro Marangon.

The scientific achievement which I regard as the most relevant and influential of mine is the characterization of the Carnian Pluvial Event, identified as a global episode that similarly to many mass extinctions and OAEs, is characterized by ocean acidification (Rigo et al., 2007), a strong and rapid perturbation of the carbon cycle (Dal Corso et al., in preparation) and was caused by the eruption of a Large Igneous Province (Furin et al., 2006). A recent review of this event and of Triassic climate trends is published (Preto et al., 2010) in a Special Issue of Paleo3 I edited (with E. Kustatscher and P. Wignall).

A promising research topic is the study of the role of carbonate mud and microbialites in the long-term carbon cycle. Such carbonates contribute substantially to sedimentation during the early Mesozoic. Triassic carbonate platforms managed to precipitate huge amounts of carbonate, despite the pCO₂ of Triassic is estimated at ca. 2000 ppm, i.e., much higher than that predicted by the most pessimistic IPCC scenarios, in which ocean acidification could halt the growth of coral reefs. One of my principal research goals is to gather informations that could explain the enhanced production of Triassic platforms despite high pCO₂ conditions. The solution is probably in an anomalous Triassic seawater supersaturation. I am tackling this research topic mostly with carbonate petrography, isotope geochemistry and biogeochemistry and the first manuscripts on this topic are being submitted in these months.

Teaching experiences:

Courses:

• Carbonate sedimentology (formerly Facies Analysis), M.S. program, 2009-present

• Basin Analysis, M.S. program, 2009-2010

• Geological mapping, B.S. program, 2007-2009 (Teaching assistant 2005-2006 and present)

• Carbonate cyclostratography, PhD School, 2006

• General Geology (teaching assistant with lessons), B.S. program, 2006-2007

• Technical English (teaching assistant with lessons), M.S. program, 2006-2007

PhD supervision:

• Dr. Renata Meneguolo, now at Statoil Hydro

• Dr. Chiara Guaiumi

• Dr. Marco Franceschi, now at Museo Tridentino di Scienze Naturali

• Jacopo dal Corso, currently enrolled

• Alessandro Marangon, currently enrolled

• Giovanni Gattolin, beginning now

• Viviana Frisone, beginning now

Post-doctoral fellows advised:

• Anna Breda, now lecturer at Padova

• Marco Franceschi, now post-doc at Museo Tridentino di Scienze Naturali

• Pierparide Gramigna

Member of the executive council, PhD school of Earth Sciences, Dept. of Geosciences, University of Padova, 2008-2010.

Member of the advisory board, department of Geoscience, University of Padova, 2008-2010.

Member of the scientific committee, Department of Geosciences, University of Padova, 2009-present.

Congress organization:

• Triassic Geochronology and Cyclostratigraphy field symposium, September 14-17, 2003, S. Cristina di Val Gardena, Italy: field trip

• 32^nd International Geological Congress, August 20-28 2004, Firenze, Italy: field trip

• The Triassic Climate, Bozen, June 1-7, 2008: organization committee and session chairman

• 27^th Meeting of the IAS, September 2009, Alghero, Italy, session T4B “Going beyond temperature: carbonates as paleoenvironmental archives”: Chairman

• 7^th International Triassic Field Workshop, Dolomites (Italy), September 5-10, 2010: organization and scientific committee, field trip.

Editorships and activities as reviewer:

• Reviewer for PRIN research programs.

• Reviewer for EPSL, Global and Planetary Change, American Journal of Science, Terra Nova, Sedimentary Geology, Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology, Marine and Petroleum Geology, Facies, Geological Society of London Special Publications, SEPM Special Publications, Geological Quarterly, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin, Rendiconti della Società Geologica Italiana.

• Special volume "Triassic Climates", Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, vol. 290 (April 2010): Guest editor.

• Marine and Petroleum Geology: Associate editor (April, 2010 - present).