Geology of the Mediterranean Area

The knowledge of geological processes of the Mediterranean area is fundamental for understanding the interactions between geosphere and biosphere. Topics of the Course are: geology and geodynamics of the main geological settings (e.g., active and passive margins) recognizable in the Mediterranea area; basic concepts of extensive, convergent and transcurrent tectonics; geological history and palaeogeography of the Mediterranean area; main tectonic units occurring in the Mediterranea sea and onland; description of the main techniques of survey in marine geology; seafloor bathymetry and basic concepts of coastal morphology; interactions between bathymetry, seafloor morphology and biosphere distribution in relation to the environmental protection and anthropic action. In addition, topics regarding the petrography and petrology of selected areas will be treated. In particular, the volcanic districts of the Campania and Lazio regions as well as of the Eolie Islands will be illustrated and studied. Some insights on the methodologies commonly used for processing the geological data will be given.