PlanMap Team Members

Matteo Massironi

Institution: University of Padova, Department of Geosciences

Matteo Massironi is associate professor in “Structural Geology” at Padova University where he teaches “Geological mapping”, “Satellite Remote Sensing” and “Planetary geology”. He has been involved in several cartographic and field survey projects in Europa, North Africa, South America, Near East and he contributed to the field surveys and structural analysis conducted for the Brenner Basis Tunnel project transecting the Central Eastern Alps where he applied also 3D geo-modeling techniques. He is team member of the following instruments mounted on ESA space missions: SIMBIOSYS-Bepi-Colombo for the exploration of Mercury; CaSSIS-Exo Mars for the exploration of the Martian surface; OSIRIS-WAC of the Rosetta mission to the 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet and JANUS-Juice mission to Jovian satellites. From 2016 he has been scientific coordinator and prime instructor of the ESA PANGAEA course which aims at training ESA astronauts in planetary and field geology. Member of the editorial board of Geosciences and of the Journal of Geological Field Trip and Maps.  Awards: 2000 “Giuseppe and Paolo Gatto” award of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei for his post-doctoral studies on the Italian Alps; 2017 the International Astronomical Union named Asteroid 11440 after "Massironi".

Involvement in PlanMap project: >He leads the coordination and management WP1, the 3D subsurface geological modeling WP6 and the dissemination WP8

Barbara De Toffoli

Institution: University of Padova, Department of Geosciences

Barbara De Toffoli is a PostDoctoral Researcher at the Department of Geosciences, University of Padua (Italy). She has a MSci in Geology followed by a PhD in Earth Sciences focused on “ Gas emission centres on Mars surface and putative biological contribution: insights on hydrothermal fluid circulation in the upper crust” . She is involved in the GeoPlaNet Consortium and spent part of her PhD at the Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique of Nantes (France).  She is an Associate Scientist of the CaSSIS camera/ExoMars team mainly focused on geological mapping. Her research interests include fluid circulation in the Martian crust and terrestrial analogue sites, analysis of percolating fracture systems, sedimentary volcanism, water resurgences and degassing centers identification in a search for life perspective.

Involvement in PlanMap project: She helps with WP2, WP5 and WP6

Luca Penasa

Institution: CISAS - Center for Studies and Activities for Space "G. Colombo"

Luca Penasa is a postdoctoral researcher at CISAS - Center for Studies and Activities for Space “G.Colombo” since 2016, where he works for the Rosetta’s OSIRIS camera team. He obtained his PhD in 2015, with the thesis “Laserscanner Cyclostratigraphy. A remote sensing approach for the extraction of long time series from large outcrops” (download it from google drive here. He is currently working on the study of the layering on comet 67P and he is an active data scientist developing in C++ and python, and open source software advocate. His works are mainly related to remotely-sensed data processing for geological purposes. Follow his work on github(link is external).

Involvement in PlanMap project: He is involved in Planmap activities as support for geological 3D modelling and data processing

Riccardo Pozzobon

Institution: CISAS - Center for Studies and Activities for Space "G. Colombo"

Riccardo Pozzobon currently has a PostDoc position at the Department of Geosciences in University of Padova. He graduated in Geology and Technical Geology in 2010 at the University of Padua and obtained the PhD in “Planetary Geology” in 2015 working on fractal clustering analysis and fluid expulsion on volcanic and mud volcanic fields on Mars. In 2015 got a research grant at INAF (National Astrophyisics Institute) on analysis of the subsurface fluids distribution in Jupiter’s Icy moons and in Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus. He carried out several activities in the mineralogical field including synthesis of mantle minerals/earth core-related metal alloys at the Bayerisches Geo-Institut in Bayreuth. He is involved in space missions for planetary exploration, being a team member and associate scientist of the following imaging systems mounted on ESA spacecrafts: CaSSIS-Exo Mars, JANUS-JUICE mission to Jupiter Icy Moons. The current research activities involve mud volcanism and diapirism on Mars, DTM analysis, 3D geo-modeling and lava tubes in the solar system. From 2016 is instructor for orbital images recognition and responsible for training materials in the ESA PANGAEA geologic training for astronauts.

Involvement in PlanMap project: He helps in coordinating and production of the 3D subsurface geological modeling in WP6 and the dissemination of WP8.

Elisa Facciolo

Institution: University of Padova, Department of Geosciences

Elisa Facciolo graduated in Modern Languages and Literature in 2001 at Padua University, where she is currently working as an administrative expert in international research projects. She is responsible for all administrative aspects of managing a funded project, gives support to departmental staff  and assists Principal Investigators, by providing guidance on  University policies and procedures as well as specific grants terms and conditions. She takes care of expenditure reports and helps in the preparation of financial statements. 

Involvement in PlanMap project: She helps in coordinating the WP1

Nicola Praticelli

Institution: University of Padova, Department of Geosciences

Nicola Praticelli is the Information Technician at the Department of Geosciences. He’s involved in the maintenance of the computer network of the Department, assistance to user for what concern hardware and software, and the design and maintenance of web sites of the Department.

Involvement in PlanMap project: He wrote the layout of the Planmap web site and gives assistance in the maintenance of the web site.