I’m a marine geologist thus interested in studying of solid Earth. Particularly, my research activity is focused in studying the evolution over time of our submerged Earth system, in this case taking attention on how deep basins, forming at the rear of a mountain chains and named back-arc basins, forms and their relationships with volcanoes or magma upwelling. Over this my interest are toward the various geological risks that can affect our life and that are earthquakes
and related tsunamis, landslides and tectonically- or climate change-controlled sea level changes. I realize these studies integrating the geophysical methods with geological information coming from sampled sediments. Geophysical methods are based on instruments (multibeam swath bathymetry, high-resolution sub-bottom profiles, single and multichannel seismic data) that allow to investigate the seafloor and the sub-seafloor rocks. The seafloor morphology in back-arc basins is more complex than one might imagine: here seafloor can reach depth over 4000 m below seafloor, and there are numerous submerged mountains that can be of volcanic- or tectonic-origin and can have dimensions sometimes huge. Between these mountains several canyons, sometimes hundred km long, flow from the coast to the oceanic deep moving enormous quantities of sediments. Deep basins or back-arc basins are formed as a consequence of the convergence between two plates or block of continents. The force generated by the convergence push the denser and heavier, even if thinner, oceanic crust to sink under the other oceanic crust (see the Mariana system) or continental crust (see the Apennine system) which, being less dense, floats. The subducting oceanic crust, called a slab, retreats as it sinks, forcing the upper continental or oceanic crust to follow it. This means that a block of crust breaks away from the continent and drifts, creating the conditions for magma to rise. The break is realized throughout the formation of discontinuities or faults generating earthquakes and, being
submerged, the energy released is able to trigger tsunamis. Sometimes the fragmentation of rocks creates conditions of gravitational instability that trigger landslides and gas emissions. Furthermore, seismic images of the rocks have revealed particular events associated with the lowering of the sea floor during past ice eras. Identifying and analyzing the frequency, recurrence, intensity of these events in the past, and how the Earth system reacts to these thermal changes will help better constrain modeling of future global changes. All these events and phenomena are recorded within sediments, thus by drilling and sampling it we are able to identify them and date. Combining these information with the seismic images of the subseafloor and with the seabed we can reconstruct the history of submerged continental margins and of deep basins, and also do paleo-climate reconstruction. All these studies improve risk analysis and make the lives of people and animals safer. Knowing our earth system allows us to adequately protect it.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and describe your hobbies and interests outside of science. Outside of science I have a passion for dance. In my life I have practiced different types of dance: modern and jazz dance, southern dance, african dance and recently I started pole dancing. This also inspired me to create a performance that combines pole dancing with science, which speaks to the health of the sea. The pole dancer moves in a volume of air as fishes move in a volume of water. I also like fashion and art.I love cats, I love them like children and I cried a lot and I still cry for the loss of my cat named Tiger. Two years after his death I got another cat, she is female, and I am in love again.
What kind of scientist are you and what do you do? Describe what your role is and your title; this can be on the ship and/or in your current career. I am a first level researcher at the Institute of Marine Sciences – National Research Council. I carry out all the activities ranging from writing a proposal, to participating in the oceanographic cruise in order to collect data, processing, analysis and finally writing an article or presentations of results. On board I often play the role of head of mission, but I also take part in technical operations, such as deployment and recovery of the seismic system, core sampling, morphobathymetric acquisition.
Do you use proxy data for research? What are those proxy data? The paleo-morphology of the seafloor to have evidence for climate change. Foramnifera to date sediment layers and turbidites to date earthquakes. Chemism of magmatic rocks to have information on processes that occur in the earth interior.
Do you conduct outreach, and if so, who do you communicate science to? Not systematically. Occasionally, I take part to events and with my dance and science performance, or a geophysical lab we have created (bathymetric maps, map of submerged risks, seismic method)
What is your favorite part about being a scientist, and how did you get interested in science? My favorite part is the beginning. When I was young, before university, I read popular magazines and one day I read about a large oceanographic ship that went out to sea collecting data to explore the depths of the ocean in order to understand the processes that allowed its evolution. I was so fascinated by it that I decided to enroll in the faculty of geology with the idea of going to sea. But I was at the university of a small city in central southern Italy, where the main studies were aimed at the tectonics of mountain systems and the seismogenic faults that had generated large earthquakes destroying several villages in the region. Towards the end of my fourth year of university I had lost hope of going to sea, but one day a professor said “there might be a possibility for some students to join a group on an oceanographic cruise. Are any of you interested?” I immediately said “I’m interested!”. A few months later I was on a ship and that was the beginning of my scientific life. But I had to leave my family and many of my friends and move from south to north Italy.
Discuss other scientific interests. I am interested in astrophysics, knowing how the Universe evolves and whether there are other life forms beyond us. This is just a curiosity and when I have the opportunity, I go to listen seminars or read some more informative articles. My legend is Margherita Hack, a great astrophysicist who loves cats.
How did you learn about scientific ocean drilling? During my work, I used data acquired during the old ODP program and thus I know of this huge and important program.
How does your work contribute to the betterment of society in general? Through the analysis of how the mantle rises, how faults control the exhumation of the mantle, how fluids circulate along fault planes influencing block movements, how faults can rupture generating earthquakes, the recurrence and the sliding of blocks. All this helps us to better understand the evolution of the Earth and evaluate its geological risks.
Are you training the next generation of scientists? I train students through curricular internships, graduate thesis and doctoral students.
What advice do you have for prospective scientists? Be passionate, courageous, opened, positive, build good relations and try to fly to go where your scientific imagination tells you to go, but at the same time be rigorous.
Have you received a piece of advice from your friends/mentors/advisors that has helped you navigate your career? Become an expert in an area and build your skills so that you become strong in your research area.
Follow Maria’s updates on LinkedIn.