The Saltgiant Field Course in Sicily (April, 29 to May, 4th 2019)

Mar 11, 2019

The 1st SaltGiant Field Course will be held in Sicily from April 29th to May, 4th 2019. This event is open to the participation of external PhDs or Early Stage Researchers from any country !

The results of the applications received will be sent by email by March,16th.

See details of the agenda below.

Location: Caltanissetta Basin (Sicily)

Date: April 29 – May 4, 2019

Deadline for applications: March, 10th

Goals: Provide training in stratigraphy, sedimentology, paleontology, geochemistry and petrology of the Messinian geological record in the Sicilian Basin (Italy) with lectures, practical exercises, and fieldwork.

Description: 

  • Saturday April 27.Arrival at Palermo airport. Hotel accommodation in Palermo
  • Sunday April 28. Free day with a visit to Palermo
  • Monday April 29.
  1. 00 a.m. – Appointment at the Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e del Mare (via Archirafi 22), Palermo. Morning lecture: Introduction to the training school: trainers, scope, structure, and logistics.
  2. Lectures: Origin of the Sicilian basin: the Caltanissetta basin: structure and sedimentary infill (A. Sulli).
  3. Lectures: Late Miocene-early Pliocene climate changes and Astronomical Climate Forcing (T. Herbert).
  4. Lectures: Cyclostratigraphy and Biostratigraphy of the Messinian sediments from the Caltanissetta Basin part one (A. Caruso).
  5. Lectures: The Calcare di Base Formation and Messinian evaporitic deposits (E. Perri) –
  6. 5:00 p.m.Departure to Caltanissetta Basin (Gela). Overnight at the hotel villa Peretti (Gela).
  • Tuesday April 30. Lectures: Cyclostratigraphy and Biostratigraphy of the Messinian-Pliocene sediments from the Caltanissetta Basin part two (A. Caruso). Fieldwork: Messinian pre-evaporitic deposits and the transition to the Calcare di Base, visit of Monte Gibliscemi and Falconara outcrops. Overnight at the hotel villa Peretti (Gela)
  • Wednesday May 1.
  1. Lectures: The Evaporitic Basin of Monte Capodarso: structure and sedimentary infill (M. Agate). The evaporative and sulphur-bearing limestones during the settlement of the Messinian Salinity Crisis. Fieldwork: visit of the Capodarso and Contrada Gaspa outcrops.

Departure to Agrigento, overnight at Grand Hotel Villaggio Mosé.

  • Thursday May 2.
  1. Lectures: Messinian post-evaporitic deposits and the return to Pliocene normal marine conditions. Fieldwork: Field visit to the Realmonte Salt Mine and to Messinian post-evaporitic deposits (Capo Rossello area). Field visit to the Messinian Gypsum deposits (Santa Elisabetta). Overnight at Grand Hotel Villaggio Mosé
  • Friday May 3.
  1. Fieldwork: Field visit to the Late Messinian deposits. Messinian post-evaporitic deposits (Eraclea Minoa section) and the return to the Pliocene normal marine conditions. Overnight at Eraclea Minoa.
  • Saturday May 4. Morning: Departure to Palermo airport

Trainers: Antonio Caruso (University of Palermo), Attilio Sulli (University of Palermo), Mauro Agate (University of Palermo), Timothy Herbert (University of Brown, US), Edoardo Perri (University of Arcavata di Rende), Giovanni Aloisi (IPGP, Paris).

Participation: The school is organized with the Marie Skłodowska-Curie ETN SALTGIANT, which will provide up to 15 participants from the Early Stage researchers enrolled in the SALTGIANT PhD programs. SaltGiant will support the participation of up to 10 additional trainees with a fixed grant to cover the travel, accommodation, and subsistence costs.

Target Trainees: PhD Students and Early Stage Researchers (ESR, time elapsed between the date of the PhD/doctorate (or similar experience). Candidates can be of any age and nationality and must be able to speak and understand English (language of the lectures).

The selection committee will take a special care to select candidates -gender- and nationality balanced.

Application procedure: Please fill in the form and send the following documents by email to aloisi@ipgp.frand champagnac@ipgp.fr:

Motivation letter

CV

Reference letter of your supervisor

Call for application: from February, 8th to March, 10th 2019. The outcomes of your application will be sent by email before March, 16th 2019.