Sedimentology

Mountain belts are built over tens of millions of years. Geologists working in active structures mostly deal with much shorter timescales, such as years, in the case of geodesy, 10e2 to 10e3 yrs in case of earthquakes, or 10e4 yrs for paleoseismic research on trenches and fault scarps. One of the most difficult timescales to study is from 10e3 to 10e5 yr which bridges the timescale from individual earthquakes or earthquake series to the time required to accumulate finite strain leading to the building of mountain belt topography and structures. This timescale is too long to be addressed by seismology, geodesy or even paleoseismology, and yet is the critical timescale to define fault slip variability, strain partitioning between faults, or rheological changes near the fault plane, such as changing fluid pressure or grain size of the damaged zone. Addressing these issues requires observations and detailed study of accumulated deformation over 10e3 to 10e5 yrs which falls under the purview of tectonic geomorphology and syntectonic sedimentation.  

In collaboration with some Archeological Missions, the focus of the research is to help reconstructing the water management of the settlements, including irrigation canals and natural rivers, and to reconstruct the local climate history in relation with the history of the settlement. Active research areas include:

• Samarkand (Uzbekistan), in collaboration with S. Mantellini (University of Bologna) and the Italo-Uzbek Archeological Mission, for the reconstruction of the age and ancient traces of the Dargom canal, still supplying water to the Samarkand oasis;
• Ebla and Tell Tuqan (Syria), in collaboration with N. Marchetti, S. Cremonini, V. Rossi and D. Scarponi (University of Bologna), for the biosedimentological analysis of a core of lacustrine deposits to assess the climate evolution in controlling the evolution of the Tell Tuqan settlement;
• Qasr Shemamok (Iraqi Kurdistan), in collaboration with M.G. Masetti-Rouault and O. Rouault (University of Paris Sorbonne) and S. Cremonini and V. Rossi (University of Bologna), for the reconstruction of the Shewazor river evolution (alluviation and entrenchment phases) in relationship with the birth and evolution of the settlement;
• Karkemish (Southern Turkey), in collaboration with N. Marchetti (University of Bologna), for the reconstruction of the Euphrates evolution in relationships with the eastern borders of the ancient city and the water supply and management.