Field Trips

FT1. Structural analysis of crystalline rocks (from magmatic structures to ductile and brittle deformation structures) - Neves Area (Südtirol, northeastern Italy)

Field leader(s): Giorgio Pennacchioni¹, Alberto Ceccato2, Giovanni Toffol³

¹Università di Padova, ²ETH-Zentrum, Zürich, Switzerland, ³Cardiff University, UK

Date: 11-14 September 2024

Minimum number of participants: 22
Maximum number of participants: 28

Costs: € 600 (Full); € 320 (REDUCED SIMP/SGI/EAG members); € 545 (REDUCED Societies affiliated to SGI)

Description: The excursion will consist of 2 full days of field work on glacially-polished outcrops at the front of the Mesule glacier (Südtirol, northeastern Italy) within the meta-granitoids of the Tauern tectonic window of the eastern Alps. These outcrops host an impressive variety of spectacularly exposed mesoscale structures ranging from magmatic, with classic examples of multiphase magmatic intrusion and magma mingling structures, to deformation structures that include different types of ductile shear zones and brittle faults. Both the ductile and brittle deformation was accompanied by episodes of fluid infiltration accounting for a complex history of fluid rock interaction during deformation.

This field trip was run six times as part of EGU summer schools mainly dedicated at teaching advanced techniques of quantitative structural analysis in deformed basement rocks. It was preferentially addressed at PhD and post-Doc students and early-career researchers. You can find more details on the field excursion (and a list of suggested readings) and a selection of images of the field structures at the web site of the former summer school:

https://servizi.geoscienze.unipd.it/egu-summerschool-2023/index.html
https://servizi.geoscienze.unipd.it/egu-summerschool-2023/photos/thumbnails.html
The web site of the Chemnitzerhütte refuge is http://www.chemnitzerhuette.com/.

Programme:
11/9 - 11 am: transfer by bus from Padova (Dept. of Geosciences, Via G. Gradenigo 6) to Lappago (BZ) and climb to the Chemnitzerhütte; dinner and overnight stay at the refuge;

12-13/9: visit to the outcrops at the front of the Mesule Glacier; breakfast and dinner at the refuge, and pocket lunch on the outcrops; overnight stays at the refuge;

14/9: breakfast at the hut, descent to valley and return to Padova.

The field area is easy to access and no climbing or special Alpine experience is required. The access to the Chemnitzerhütte (2420 m a.s.l) is by an easy mountain path climbing up for ca. 500 m of altitude difference. The walk from the refuge to the outcrops takes ca. 1 h of easy walk along a slightly steeping path. However, the excursion is in a high mountain environment and adequate equipment is essential. A checklist of the recommended equipment can be found on the web link indicated below. If you need further information do not hesitate to contact me (Giorgio Pennacchioni). The outcrops are at around 2600 m.a.s.l. We will be outside the whole day (with a packed lunch provided by the hut). The weather can be warm and sunny but can also be very cold, windy and, in the worst case, snowy.

Further indications: Cost includes transfer by bus to Südtirol and back to Padova; full board at the refuge.

Field trip contact: giorgio.pennacchioni@unipd.it

FT5. The mosaics of St. Mark's Basilica

Field leader(s): Lorenzo Lazzarini¹, Mario Piana¹, Bernardo Cesare²

¹IUAV, Venezia.
²Università di Padova.

Date: 19 September 2025

Minimum number of participants: 15
Maximum number of participants: 40

Costs: Basilica ticket (around € 5-10) to be paid on-site

Description: A two-hour guided tour to the magnificent mosaics of the Basilica.
Guided by two world-renowned authorities on the marbles, stones and mosaics of San Marco, participants will observe and learn about the unique 8000 square metres of mosaic covering the walls, vaults and cupolas of the Basilica. An 8-century-long journey through the Greek-Byzantine origins to the local artistic expressions and the skills to represent and interpret other outside influences, up to the modern, quite difficult art of preservation and restoration of these precious and complicated works.

Programme: Participants should arrive independently at the gathering point in Piazzetta dei Leoncini, San Marco, Venice.
The visit will be start at 10:00 am.

Field trip contact: bernardo.cesare@unipd.it

FT6. Geology of the Dolomites

Field leader(s): Anna Breda¹, Marcello Caggiati¹, Piero Gianolla², Nereo Preto¹, Manuel Rigo¹

¹Università di Padova.
²Università di Ferrara.

Date: 19-21 September 2025

Minimum number of participants: 25
Maximum number of participants: 50

Costs: € 560 (FULL); € 300 (REDUCED SIMP/SGI/EAG members); € 510 REDUCED Societies affiliated to SGI.
Additional costs are expected for single room accommodation (not guaranteed – to be paid on-site).

Description: This excursion will take us on a journey through the geological history of the Dolomites, from the establishment of a rigid basement that preserved the area from major tectonic deformation, to the development of carbonate platforms at a variety of scales, in a time span that encompasses millions of years from the early Permian to the Norian (late Triassic). We will visit some of the finest locations in the Dolomites, that are universally considered a standard for Triassic time and are a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Main topics we will touch are (i) the nature of Triassic carbonate precipitation, either abiotic or microbial; (ii) the visible depositional geometries of high-relief carbonate platforms; (iii) the relationship between volcanics and carbonates; (iv) the origin of dolomite; (v) the impact of climate change and sea-level oscillations on depositional systems; (vi) the evolution from flat topography to high-relief carbonate platforms and back to flat epicontinental deposition.

Programme
Day 1: Padova (departure at 7:30 am from the Department of Geosciences, Via G. Gradenigo 6), Passo Valles (stratigraphy of the Dolomites from the Lower Permian continental volcanics into the Lower Triassic shallow-marine deposits) - Selva di Cadore (arrival at the Hotel at Santa Fosca ca. 7:30 pm).
The stop at Passo Valles implies a walk on easy trail but at high elevation - up to 2300 m asl, for a duration of about 1h30' and back.

Day 2: Selva di Cadore - Colle Santa Lucia (overview of the Middle - Late Triassic carbonate platforms) - Passo Giau (Middle Triassic volcanics and volcaniclastics, and their relationship with carbonate platforms and deep-water deposits) - Selva di Cadore (arrival at the Hotel at Santa Fosca ca. 7:30 pm). The day is spent on easy trails, which however involve climbing an elevation of ca. 300 m in an alpine mountain environment. 

Day 3: Selva di Cadore - Passo Falzarego (Shut-off of the early Carnian carbonate platform and onset of siliciclastic deposition) - Cinque Torri by cable car (overview of the upper Triassic carbonate platforms and the Dolomia Principale "primary" dolomites) - Padova (arrival at ca. 6:30 pm).

Further indications: Days 1 and 2 of the field trip involve simple trekking in a high mountain environment, and we will be constantly walking at elevations >2000 m asl. Participants should be reasonably well fit. Adequate equipment is required, including boots, waterproof raincoat in case of bad weather, warm and wind-resistant clothes, sun protection as sunscreen, a hat and possibly sunglasses. The weather may vary from warm and sunny to very cold and rainy or snowy, with potentially sharp daily contrasts. Packed lunch will be provided for the 2nd and 3rd day, including some water, but it's in the participant's responsibility to ensure you bring along enough water. All costs of lodging, including breakfast and dinner at the hotel, travel by bus and cable cars, are covered by the organization.

Field trip contact: nereo.preto@unipd.it