The intrinsic relationship between geodynamic and biological evolution of the Earth is testified by the multiple mass extinctions connected to the extrinsic perturbations of the biosphere. Most of these extinctions were triggered by massive igneous activity. Direct CO2 volcanic plume emissions as well as indirect CO emissions produced severe change in the chemistry of atmosphere and oceans, influencing oceanographic currents and flows, as well as phytoplankton blooms, resulting in profound climate changes. The Cenozoic time interval is punctuated by many episodes of climate changes, some of which are phases of rapid global warming known as hyperthermals. The most important short-living intervals identified by a large C-cycle perturbation are recorded during the Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM ~55 Ma), the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO ~40 Ma) and late Miocene (CM7; 7th Carbon Maximum ~11.8 Ma).
Carbonate sediments are particularly significant for climate research because the carbonate secreting biota (but also chemically induced abiotic sediments) are sensitive archives of climate, and because geochemical methods such as stable isotope measurements that yield information on climatic parameters are applicable to carbonate biota producing sediments of pelagic and carbonate platform successions.
One of the goal of this project is to understand the response of biota producing carbonate sediment in shallow water domain to the PETM, MECO and CM7 hyperthermals and to evaluate the changes of environmental conditions produced by these warming events in the photic zone.
The second goal of this project is to identify the effects of interaction of carbonate sedimentary rocks (limestones and marly limestones) with silicate magmas at shallow depth in magma chambers.
The petrological-volcanological approach, the investigation of anomalously SiO2-understaturated and ultrabasic volcanic compositions will give new constraints on the deep carbon cycle in specific areas
