Isola della Batteria: When the River Redraws the Land
Submerged in the 1970s and considered lost for decades, Isola della Batteria in the Po Delta is now re-emerging thanks to the natural processes of the river. A project led by the Department of Geosciences shows how sediments and wetlands can provide new ways to tackle the climate crisis.
Listening to the ocean: how dolphins locate sounds without external ears
Two recent studies investigate the ability of the dolphin auditory system to locate sounds in space despite the lack of external ears (pinnae). The research was carried out as part of the PRIN-PNRR project SWIM led by Prof. Lapo Boschi
What should we protect in space? Safeguarding planetary geological heritage in a new era of exploration
A new commentary paper published in JGR Planets by Barbara De Toffoli, researcher at the Department of Geosciences, highlights the urgent need to develop scientific tools to identify and protect geological heritage on other planetary bodies
Mid-Term Update of the Excellence Project: Insights from the Advisory Board
The Department of Geosciences recently hosted the Advisory Board of the Excellence Project during the Mid-Term Project Update. Our report of the day, including interviews with key participants, is now available.
Acidifying Seas Threaten Underwater Archaeological Heritage
A study led by the Department of Geosciences at the University of Padua, published in Communications Earth & Environment (Nature Portfolio), demonstrates for the first time that climate change can accelerate the degradation of underwater cultural heritage.
The Department of Geosciences hosts a new series of seminars for the II semester of the a.y. 2025/2026
Here the calendar of the seminars and workshops
Mount Etna volcanic materials as terrestrial analogues of lunar regolith
Led by the Department of Geosciences of the University of Padua, the study shows that selected Mount Etna volcanic deposits can serve as high-fidelity lunar regolith simulants for ISRU and engineering applications
200 Million Years Ago, Life Bounced Back. Gastropods Show How
A new study led by the Department of Geosciences and Luxembourg’s National Museum of Natural History reveals how marine ecosystems quickly recovered after the Triassic-Jurassic mass extinction
NEWS AND EVENTS
Study Award
Call For Application for 5 Mobility Places at the University of Bonn within the Master's Degree in Geophysics for Natural Risks and Resources for the issuance of a Double Degree for A.Y. 2026/27
20.03.2026The University of Padua, within the cooperation agreement for the issuance of a double degree in Geophysical Sciences, announces a call for applications for no. 5 mobility places for 1 semester, reserved for students currently enrolled in the Master’s degree in Geophysics for Natural Risks and Reso
Seminars - Workshops
Seminar - The effects of fluids on geochronology
24.03.2026In this seminar Prof. Timmerman will showcase results from dating lherzolitic inclusions in Victor diamonds and eclogitic and pyroxenitic inclusions in Premier diamonds as well as isotopic modelling - 24 Marzo 2026
Media and Events
Francesco Sauro is leading the Kumerau Cave Expedition 2026 (Guyana)
The expedition, a collaboration between the University of Padua’s Department of Geosciences and the University of Guyana’s Department of Geography, investigates a sandstone cave behind the Kumerau waterfalls
Seminars - Workshops
Seminar - Against the flow: how much can we control river sediment dynamics?
17.03.2026In this talk, Dr. Musa will present a series of non-conventional approaches to sediment control, spanning local to non-local, large scale processes and shaping his broader research vision for sustainable river engineering.
Seminars - Workshops
Seminar - Functional Soil Properties in Viticulture: Soil and Geological Controls on Terroir Across Scales
10.03.2026In this seminar Prof. Costantini examines how soil properties and geology shape terroir and wine quality at different scales. Terroir is defined as the unique combination of environmental and human factors influencing wine quality.
Media and Events
Ceremony at the Department for the Retirement of Professor Cristina Stefani
26.02.2026As of March 1, Professor Cristina Stefani will retire. To thank her for the significant scientific, teaching, institutional, and personal contributions she has made throughout her career, the Department organized an event in her honor.
Seminars - Workshops
Seminar - How unique is our home planet? Geochemical evidence for an ancient subduction zone on Mars
05.03.2026How unique is our home planet? In this talk Prof. Brenker will show the first geochemical signature ever recorded for the existence of an ancient subduction zone on Mars.
Seminars - Workshops
Seminar - Geomorphic controls on organic carbon storage and flux in river corridors
03.03.2026In this seminar Prof. Lininger will provide examples of how geomorphic processes influence the storage and flux of sediment organic carbon (OC) and downed wood, which are two of the largest OC stocks in river corridors.
Seminars - Workshops
Seminar - Testing the permeability of the barrier separating the inner and outer circumsolar disk
24.02.2026Dr. Yves Marrocchi (Centre de Recherches Pétrographiques et Géochimiques) present combined O-Ti-Cr-Fe isotopic data on NC chondrules and discuss the implications of these results on the isotopic evolution of the NC reservoir and its implications for the permeability and nature of the NC/C barrier.
Seminars - Workshops
Seminar - The Secret History of Sharks. A story of evolution and survival
19.02.2026Prof. John Long talks about the origin, the geological history of sharks and how we can still learn a lot from researching sharks, from stunning new medical advances to help humans, through to how significant sharks are at keeping our oceans healthy.
