Department of Physics and Geology
Università degli Studi di Perugia

• SCUOLA DI PALEOANTROPOLOGIA 2025

Website: www.paleoantropologia.it

17–22 February 2025

6 CFU

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Seminars will be held in Aula F (Palazzo delle Scienze, Piazza dell’Università) at 14:30.

Link for on-line attendance (not recommended for PhD students):

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3a153312df090749e2bfe54b058a58ed4e%40thread.tacv2/1611844516483?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22067e7d20-e70f-42c6-ae10-8b07e8c4a003%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22b4ebe473-12b0-4fd4-b362-db1727076d3f%22%7d

• EARTH SYSTEM AND GLOBAL CHANGES*

Dates: 21 May - 3 June 2024

Hours: 54 h

Credits: 9 CFU

Course schedule:

Section 1. GLOBAL CHANGES IN THE GEOLOGICAL RECORD (3 CFU)
mar 21/05/2024 - 9:00-13:00 | 14:30-16:30 - Earth System Science and Global Changes - Diego Perugini
mer 22/05/2024 - 9:00-13:00 | 14:30-16:30 - Global Changes in the Deep Time - Simonetta Cirilli
gio 23/05/2024 - 9:00-13:00 | 14:30-16:30 - Quaternary Global Changes - Marco Cherin

Section 2. NATURAL HAZARDS IN A CHANGING WORLD (3 CFU)
lun 27/05/2024 - 9:00-13:00 | 14:30-16:30 - Plate Tectonics and Global Changes - Massimiliano Barchi
mar 28/05/2024 - 9:00-13:00 | 14:30-16:30 - Natural and Anthropogenic Seismicity - Massimiliano Barchi
mer 29/05/2024 - 9:00-13:00 | 14:30-16:30 - Volcanic Hazard - Carlo Cardellini

Section 3. NATURAL RESOURCES IN A CHANGING WORLD (3 CFU)
gio 30/05/2024 - 9:00-13:00 | 14:30-16:30 - Geomaterials for the Ecological Transition - Azzurra Zucchini
ven 31/05/2024 - 9:00-13:00 | 14:30-16:30 - Energy Solutions for a Changing World - Giorgio Minelli
lun 03/06/2024 - 9:00-13:00 | 14:30-16:30 - Knowing Groundwater in an Active and Changing Planet - Costanza Cambi

* Mandatory course for ESGC PhD students

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• INTRODUCTION TO ATMOSPHERIC PHYSICS, CLIMATE AND COPERNICUS DATA STORE (CDS)

Dr. Paolina Bongioannini Cerlini (University of Perugia)

Dates: 31 January–1 March 2024 (Wed and Fri 15:00–17:00)

Hours: 20 h

Credits: 3 CFU

Syllabus: This course serves as an introduction to the atmosphere and ocean dynamics. 

Its purpose is to introduce students of different backgrounds to atmospheric sciences and physical oceanography and basic knowledge of climate system making them familiar with some fundamental aspects of dynamics applied to geophysical fluids. Some basic knowledge of phyton programming language may be used to analyze climate data contained in the COPERNICUS Climate Data Store.

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• MACHINE LEARNING FOR DATA ANALYSIS, AND IMAGE CLASSIFICATION IN THE EARTH SCIENCES

Prof. Maurizio Petrelli (University of Perugia), Dr. Alessandro Mondini (CNR-IMATI)

Dates: 19–21 March 2024

Hours: 18 h

Credits: 3 CFU 

Syllabus: The course is designed and implemented to provide students with an overall understanding of machine & deep learning techniques as applied to data analysis within the domain of Earth Sciences. The focus will be on preparing and exploiting machine learning algorithms in Python to segment and classify structured datasets, including multi-source images acquired in different spectral bands. the course will encompass both theoretical principles and practical applications, ensuring participants gain insights in the extraction of information from data.

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• GROUND PENETRATING RADAR IN GEOSCIENCES: PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATIONS

Dr. Maurizio Ercoli (University of Perugia)

Dates: May 2024 (contact the teacher for details)

Hours: 18 h

Credits: 3 CFU 

Syllabus: The course will provide a theoretical introduction to the near-surface geophysical method known as GPR, with a particular focus on the geoscience applications, and will include practical activities (collection and analysis of experimental data).

Course schedule: 2h - Introduction to geophysical methods; 2h - Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), theoretical principles; 2h - Equipment and data acquisition; 2h - Data analysis and processing; 4h - Conventional and advanced tools for data interpretation, examples of applications; 4h - Practical demonstration of data acquisition, processing and reporting.

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• SCUOLA DI PALEOANTROPOLOGIA 2024

Website: www.paleoantropologia.it

19–24 February 2024

6 CFU

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• INTERNATIONAL SHORT COURSE ON APPLICATION OF LASER ABLATION INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA MASS SPECTROMETRY TO EARTH SCIENCES
  22–24 April 2024

3 CFU

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• SCUOLA PIALLI 2024 Geothermal reservoir modelling
  

10-13 September 2024

4 CFU

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• VULCANO SUMMER SCHOOL 2024

Website: https://crisp.unipg.it/vulcano-summer-school-on-planetary-science/

June 2024

9 CFU

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• Thu 29 Sep (2:00 pm) – 2nd Earth Sciences webinar cycle – Lorenzo Bonechi (INFN Florence) – Muon radiography: an innovative geophysical prospecting technique. Introduction and discussion of real cases

• Thu 20 Oct (2:00 pm) – 2nd Earth Sciences webinar cycle – Michele Cenci (Regione Umbria) – Energy policy, burden sharing and renewable energies: Umbria’s hard trek. Challenge for the next future. Are renewable electric energies enough?

• Thu 01 Dec (2:00 pm) – 2nd Earth Sciences webinar cycle – Bernard Shmitt (IPAG Univ. Grenoble Alpes / CNRS) – The SSHADE European database infrastructure in spectroscopy of solids: its spectral and band list databases on ices, organics and minerals for astrophysics and geosciences

• Thu 15 Dec (2:00 pm) – 2nd Earth Sciences webinar cycle – Antonia Elia (University of Perugia) – Microalgae as multifaceted environmental tool for assessing freshwater ecosystem health

• Thu 10 Jan (2:00 pm) – 2nd Earth Sciences webinar cycle – Giovanni Boschian (University of Pisa) – South African hominins and caves under a microscope. New geological approaches to an old problem

• Tue 17 Jan (3:00 pm) – Andrea Villa (Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont) – To juggle frogs: ectothermic tetrapods as palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic proxies

• Tue 2 Feb (3:00 pm) – Walter Dragoni (University of Perugia) – Climate changes and impacts on the environment

• Dr. Maurizio Ercoli (University of Perugia)
Title: Ground Penetrating Radar in geosciences: principles and applications
Dates: mid-June
Hours: 16 h
Credits: 3 ECTS credits
Syllabus:
The course will provide a theoretical introduction to the near-surface geophysical method known as GPR, with a particular focus on geoscience applications, and will include practical activities (collection and analysis of experimental data).
Course schedule:
2h - Introduction to geophysical methods
2h - Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), theoretical principles
2h - Equipment and data acquisition
2h - Data analysis and processing
4h - Conventional and advanced tools for data interpretation, examples of applications
4h - Practical demonstration of data acquisition, processing and reporting
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• Dr. Paolina Bongioannini Cerlini (University of Perugia)
Title: Introduction to Atmospheric Physics, Climate and COPERNICUS DATA STORE (CDS)
Dates: 29 March – 28 April 2023 (Wed-Fri 15:00-17:00)
Hours: 20 h
Credits: 3 ECTS credits
Syllabus:
This course serves as an introduction to the atmosphere and ocean dynamics.
Its purpose is to introduce students of different backgrounds to atmospheric sciences and physical oceanography and basic knowledge of climate system making them familiar with some fundamental aspects of dynamics applied to geophysical fluids. Some basic knowledge of
phyton programming language may be used to analyze climate data contained in the COPERNICUS CDS.
Info: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

• Prof. Maurizio Petrelli (University of Perugia), Dr. Alessandro Mondini (CNR-IRPI)
Title: Machine learning for data analysis, and image classification in the Earth Sciences
Dates: 10-11-12 of January 2023
Hours: 18 h
Credits: 3 ECTS credits
Syllabus: -
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• Dr. Filippo Carboni (University of Freiburg)
Title: From Seismic Interpretation to Balancing and Restoration using Move
Dates: beginning of March
Hours: 24 h
Credits: 4 CFU
Syllabus:
The course is aimed at improving the skills of the participants in the balancing and restoration techniques applied to compressional folds and faults, with the use of 3D Move software. The participants will mainly work with the NW Borneo dataset, whose interpretation is already published in the Journal of Structural Geology, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsg.2018.10.011.
This training is aimed at appealing to doctoral and early-career scientists. Due to the limited available workstations and licenses, a maximum of 20 participants is allowed, thus a first-come-first served policy, based on the subscription date, is applied.
Course schedule:
2h - Introduction to deep-water fold-and-thrust belts
1.5h - Introduction to seismic and seismic interpretation 1.5h - Introduction to balancing and restoration techniques 1h - Introduction to Move software
6h – Seismic interpretation
6h – Application of balancing techniques
6h – Restoration of the obtained sections
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• Dr. Andrea Sorci (University of Perugia)
Title: Sedimentary petrology applied to reservoir characterization
Dates: second half of April-beginning of May
Hours: 20-21 h
Credits: 3 ECTS credits
Syllabus:
Reservoir rocks constitute relatively voluminous sedimentary bodies characterized by high porosity and permeability. These petrophysical features make reservoir rocks very important from an economic point of view, favouring the long-term storage of energy resources (e.g., hydrocarbons and geothermal hot water) and, from a new perspective, greenhouse gases (i.e., carbon dioxide and methane) and hydrogen. In this view, sedimentary petrology represents an essential tool to characterize reservoir rocks, permitting to define their paragenetic history from deposition through diagenesis.
This short course aims to provide knowledge and skills about siliciclastic and carbonate rock petrology to assess their petrophysical properties and reservoir quality. The students will be trained to:
1. Recognize and classify siliciclastic, carbonate and hybrid reservoir-prone rocks;
2. Analyse the controlling factors on compositions, textures, structures and primary porosity distribution;
3. Define the provenance of extrabasinal particles and their stability under diagenetic processes;
4. Assess porosity and permeability evolution under diagenesis;
5. Learn the use of laboratory techniques (i.e., optical and electronical microscopes, cathodoluminescence, Raman-spectroscopy, clumped isotopes, image analysis) also throughout several case histories.
Practical exercises (both on the field and at the laboratory) will complement theoretical lectures.
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• Dr. Alessandro Pisello (University of Perugia), Dr. Maximiliano Fastelli (University of Perugia), Dr. Mickael Baquè (DLR)
Title: Frontiers in Solar System Studies and Exploration
Dates: 3-5 April 2023
Hours: 16-21 h
Credits: 3 ECTS credits
Syllabus:
The history of the Solar System can be investigated through the observation of its solid bodies: the planets and the asteroids. Planetary studies represent a great branch in nowadays scientific research, which is able to connect astrophysicists, geologists, chemists, engineers, biologists, and more through intense interdisciplinary collaboration.
We are proposing a 3-day course that will provide the knowledge on how data from telescopes and satellites were used to interpret the nature of celestial bodies to understand what elements, rocks, and minerals compose the surface of the planets, moons, asteroids, and comets of the Solar System. These topics will be carried on by describing the state of the art from spectroscopic, petro-mineralogical, and geochemical techniques used to analyse the surfaces of such bodies.
Moreover, it is important that modern PhD and Master students which are interested in the study of planetary science develop the capacity to network and understand presentations by scientists from different fields. For this reason, during the course it will also be possible to get in touch with different internationally known speakers who will present seminars that will give a glance at cutting-edge science on their field of work.
Finally, the course will comprise practical sessions that will focus on the retrieval and interpretation of spectral data.
Program structure:
Day 1 - 09:00-11:00 - Lecture: Geological history of Terrestrial Planets (A. Pisello)
Day 1 - 11:00-13:00 - “Frontiers” seminars convened by A. Pisello
Day 1 - 14:30-17:30 - Lab: exp-petro lab + data retrieval (A. Pisello)
Day 2 - 09:00-11:00 - Lecture: Icy Bodies and Asteroids (M. Fastelli)
Day 2 - 11:00-13:00 - “Frontiers” seminars convened by M. Fastelli
Day 2 - 14:30-17:30 - Lab: Detecting bio and geo signature on Origin (M. Fastelli)
Day 3 - 09:00-11:00 - Lecture: Traces of life beyond Earth (M. Baquè)
Day 3 - 11:00-13:00 - “Frontiers” seminars convened by M. Baquè
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• Scuola Pialli 2023
6 ETCS credits
Perugia October 2-5 2023 - notice
• School of Paleoanthropology
6 ECTS credits
13-18 February 2023
• International Short Course on Application of Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry to Earth Sciences
Lyon, 8 and 9 of July. Find more details

Thu 27 Jan (4:30 pm)
Giorgio Basilici (Universidade Estadual de Campinas)
Variations from dry to aquic conditions in vertisols: a late Paleocene climate change (Esplugafreda Formation, eastern Pyrenees, Spain)

Thu 03 Feb (4:30 pm)
Alex Sendrós (Universitat de Barcelona)
Hydrogeophysical characterization of the Critical Zone using ERT (Electrical resistivity tomography)

Thu 10 Feb (4:30 pm)
Giorgio Minelli (Università degli Studi di Perugia)
Hydrogen underground storage in salt

Thu 17 Feb (4:30 pm)
Marta Della Seta (Sapienza Università di Roma)
“Aging” and “Lifting” in the morphoevolution of tectonically active areas

Thu 24 Feb (4:30 pm)
Nicola De Paola (Durham University)
What controls the spectrum of slip behaviour of (laboratory) earthquakes?

Thu 03 Mar (4:30 pm)
Alessandro Di Michele (Università degli Studi di Perugia)
Nanomaterials for CO2 conversion and valorisation

Thu 10 Mar (4:30 pm)
Andrea Schito (University of Aberdeen)
Organic matter Thermal maturity and Raman spectroscopy. State of the art and new perspective

Title: Ground Penetrating Radar in geosciences: principles and applications
ETCS and Scheduling: 16 h, 3 ECTS credits, mid May
Teachers: Dr. Maurizio Ercoli (University of Perugia)
Syllabus: The course will provide a theoretical introduction to the near-surface geophysical method known as GPR, with a particular focus on the geoscience applications, and will include practical activities (collection and analysis of experimental data).

Title: Environmental implications of integrated hydrogeological and geophysical studies of soils
ETCS and Scheduling: 6 h, 1 ECTS credits, end of April-beginning of May
Teachers: Prof. Lucio Di Matteo, Dr. Cristina Pauselli, Dr. Maurizio Ercoli (University of Perugia)
Syllabus: The course will provide theoretical and practical concepts for understanding different processes in soils having environmental implications (managing water consumption and soil erosion, surveying geothermal characteristics, etc.). Different methods will be illustrated, highlighting how the integration of applied geology and applied geophysics approaches can provide extensive and accurate information on different soil types.

Title: Introduction to Atmospheric Physics, Climate and COPERNICUS DATA STORE (CDS)
ETCS and Scheduling: 5 ECTS credits, 1-24 March 2022, Wed-Fri 15:00-17:00
Teachers: Dr. Paolina Bongioannini Cerlini (University of Perugia)
Syllabus:

Title: Machine learning for data analysis, and image classification in the Earth Sciences(CDS)
ETCS and Scheduling: 15 h, 3 ECTS credits, 27-28-29 April 2022
Teachers: Prof. Maurizio Petrelli (University of Perugia), Dr. Alessandro Mondini (CNR-IRPI)

Title: Scuola Pialli 20200: Geothermics and Geothermal Energy
ETCS and Scheduling: 6 ETCS credits, June 2022

Title: School of Paleoanthropology
ETCS and Scheduling: 6 ECTS credits, Tentatively in June-July 2022

Title: International Short Course on Application of Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry to Earth Sciences
ETCS and Scheduling: 3 ECTS credits), 14-16 September 2022

Title and MsC: Mathematical methods for Geosciences, MsC in Geosciences for Risks and Environment Management
Teacher: Dr. Maurizio Petrelli
ETCS and Scheduling: 6 ECTS credits, possibly in presence, first semester

Title and MsC: Environmental geochemistry, MsC in Geosciences for Risks and Environment Management
Teacher: Prof. Francesco Frondini
ETCS and Scheduling: 6 ECTS credits, possibly in presence, second semester

The doctoral training program also comprises further activities, shared with other University of Perugia PhD programs, as described in the following.
Disciplinary and interdisciplinary training, advanced linguistic and computing training:
- Foreign language courses at CLA (Centro Linguistico d'Ateneo/University Language Center) according to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), of six-month (10 CFU/ECTS) or annual (13 CFU/ECTS) duration;
- Computer lab courses or specific modules (1-2 CFU/ECTS) related to software for data analysis (R, Stata, GIS), word processing programs (LaTeX), specialized software, dedicated to geological data processing;
- Research management, knowledge of research systems and funding systems (1 CFU/ECTS);
- Enhancement of research results and intellectual property (6 courses, each 1 CFU/ECTS each). Each course is focused on the transition from basic research to applied research; research enhancement techniques; the funding of applied research; the protection of intellectual property; the university's actions to promote patents; business creation and research spin-offs. All the courses and modules described in this section require a final check.

Seminars and Lectures, on topics not strictly related to the student research projects, will be organized, usually in the period between November 1st and May 31st, aimed at broadening the skills and increasing the awareness of PhD students. The lectures will be given by Italian and foreign qualified experts, by members of the PhD Board, as well as by former PhD students.

Jan 20, 17.00
Tonci Balic-Zunic (Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen)
Diffraction, a basic method in Geosciences

Jan 27, 17.00
Massimiliano Alvioli (CNR-IRPI, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Ricerca per la Protezione Idrogeologica)
Optimization of geomorphological slope units

Feb 03, 17.00
Hemin A. Koyi (Department of Earth Sciences, University of Uppsala)
How safe is the “safe”; salt structures as repositories for radioactive waste disposal

Feb 10, 17.00
Anne Pommier (UCSD-SIO, University of California San Diego, USA)
Experimental investigation of planetary interiors using electrical measurements 

Feb 17, 17.00 - link to the seminar https://bit.ly/3r1QMUP
Andrea Chiuri (ENEA, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development)
Analytical techniques for geological sites characterization

Feb 24, 17.00
Giovanni Chiodini (INGV, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione di Bologna)
Carbon dioxide Earth degassing, heat flux and earthquakes: the case of the Apennines

Mar 03, 17.00
Francesco Salese (CSIC-INTA, Centro de Astrobiologia, Madrid)
Sedimentary Mars

Title: Inverse Problems in Geophysics
Teacher: Prof. Rick Bennett Introduction to Atmospheric Physics and Climate
ETCS and Scheduling: 3 ECTS credits, Online, second semester

Title: Introduction to Atmospheric Physics and Climate
Teacher: Dr. Paolina Bongioannini Cerlini
ETCS and Scheduling: 6 ECTS credits, possibly in presence, second semester

Title: Combining GIS, Machine Learning, and Remote Sensing: how the spatial analysis could improve your research.
Teachers: Dr. Laura Melelli, Dr. Alessandro Mondini, Dr. Maurizio Petrelli
ETCS and Scheduling: 3 ECTS credits, possibly in presence, second semester

Title: School in Structural Geology “G. Pialli”
ETCS and Scheduling: 6 ETCS credits, possibly in presence, second semester (tentatively in September)

Title: School of Paleoanthropology
ETCS and Scheduling: 6 ECTS credits, possibly in presence, second semester (tentatively in June)

Title: International Short Course on Application of Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry to Earth Sciences
ETCS and Scheduling: 3 ECTS credits), possibly in presence, 25-25 June 2021

Title and MsC: Earth System Science, MsC in Geosciences for Risks and Environment
Management
Teacher: Prof. Diego Perugini
6 ECTS credits, possibly in presence, first semester

Title and MsC: Mathematical methods for Geosciences, MsC in Geosciences for Risks and Environment Management
Teacher: Dr. Maurizio Petrelli
ETCS and Scheduling: 6 ECTS credits, possibly in presence, first semester

Title and MsC: Environmental geochemistry, MsC in Geosciences for Risks and Environment Management
Teacher: Prof. Francesco Frondini
ETCS and Scheduling: 6 ECTS credits, possibly in presence, second semester

The doctoral training program also comprises further activities, shared with other University of Perugia PhD programs, as described in the following.
Disciplinary and interdisciplinary training, advanced linguistic and computing training:
- Foreign language courses at CLA (Centro Linguistico d'Ateneo/University Language Center) according to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), of six-month (10 CFU/ECTS) or annual (13 CFU/ECTS) duration;
- Computer lab courses or specific modules (1-2 CFU/ECTS) related to software for data analysis (R, Stata, GIS), word processing programs (LaTeX), specialized software, dedicated to geological data processing;
- Research management, knowledge of research systems and funding systems (1 CFU/ECTS);
- Enhancement of research results and intellectual property (6 courses, each 1 CFU/ECTS each). Each course is focused on the transition from basic research to applied research; research enhancement techniques; the funding of applied research; the protection of intellectual property; the university's actions to promote patents; business creation and research spin-offs. All the courses and modules described in this section require a final check.