Field trips

DEADLINE for field trip registration: 28/02/2023

please contact the field trip leaders for additional information if you are interested in participating.

PRE-CONFERENCE FIELD TRIPS:

  • (FT1) - Shallow water Cretaceous to Paleogene successions in NE Italy: the Carso Region. Price: 190 EURO. Min. 8 - max. 25 participants

2 days: June 2023, 23rd and 24th

Registration costs include bus transport for field trips, lunches and aperitifs: 190 Euro. Participants: min 10 - max 25. Accommodation not included. Participants are suggested to book accommodation near to the train station in Trieste where a large variety of facilities (hotels, B&B and hostels) is readily available. Here some suggestions. HotelTrieste, Hotelroma, HotelItalia, NHHotel, HotelloSpace, Trieste411.

Field leaders: Lorenzo Consorti (CNR-ISMAR, Trieste) - lorenzo.consorti@ts.ismar.cnr.it Romana Melis (University of Trieste) - melis@units.it

This pre-congress field trip aims to unravel some key places in the surroundings of Trieste (NE Italy) including rock strata rich in larger Foraminifera as well as Recent depositional environments where benthic Foraminifera can be found as a living constituent. The Cretaceous to Eocene carbonate platform of the Classical Karst, together with the siliciclastic deposits associated to the Eocene Dinaric orogenic phase, host some of the traditional successions studied for larger Foraminifera. The Eocene deposits of Collio are moreover particularly known for releasing isolated Alveolina and Nummulites specimens. Recent intertidal rocky areas of the Trieste gulf host a wide array of niches in which benthic foraminifera, among Ammonia, Trochammina and Elphidium, thrive abundantly. During the morning of June 23rd, the field trip will run at Miramare Castle where Eocene olistoliths, rich in larger Foraminifera, are on stand. Then we will go for a sampling of living Foraminifera from an intertidal setting at the Villaggio del Pescatore, including a quick visit to the dinosaurs site, whereas the afternoon will be dedicated to collect fossil Larger Foraminifera nearby Cormons village. The second day (June 24th) will focus on the Cretaceous and Paleogene exposures at Aurisina (type locality of Keramosphaerina tergestina, Upper Cretaceous), Val Rosandra (lower to mid Eocene) and at the K-Pg bearing section of Padriciano (Maastrichtian to Thanetian). In June 25th participants should reach the conference venue at Perugia in time for the icebreaker party; train is the fastest option (Trieste->Florence->Perugia). More detailed info will be given in a next circular; for any particular request o more detailed info please contact the field leaders. The field trip mostly includes geological activity, hammers and hand lens are recommended. Follow the safe rules for excursions in the field, every participant should have a medical insurance policy or be covered by the own the national health program. The nearest international hub is Ronchi dei Legionari Airport, even the most of flight companies land at Venice airport, two hours by bus or train from Trieste. Ronchi dei Legionari Airport is connected to Trieste by train.

  • (FT2) - Traces of the Messinian salinity crisis in the Piedmont Basin. Min. 8 - max. 25 participants. Price: 215 Euro. 23-24/06 CANCELLED

2 days: June 2023, 23rd and 24th

Field leader: Rocco Gennari (UniTorino) rocco.gennari@unito.it

Registration costs include bus transport, full board and accomodation.

The Messinian Salinity Crisis is an extreme geological event that interested the Mediterranean during the Late Miocene. Its uniqueness is due to the deposition of hundreds to thousands of meters of gypsum and salt on the ancient sea floor; the volume and extension of evaporite deposition as no equivalent in modern environments. Before the evaporitic acme of the crisis, the Mediterranean underwent important changes, which led to oscillate between different extreme paleoceanographic conditions, during which the marine biota was subjected to several stressors (e.g. prolonged anoxia or eutrophication), mimicking the extreme consequences in the worst case scenario of a warming ocean. During the Messinian, the oscillations were paced by the insolation parameter, while the tectonic activity was changing the paleogeography of many intramountain basins and of the gateways to the Atlantic Ocean, reducing the connection between the Mediterranean and the global Ocean. In the Piedmont basin we will have the opportunity to observe the sedimentary record corresponding to these events, including cyclic successions showing periodical increase of organic matter preservation (sapropels), of siliceous productivity (diatomites) and the gypsum deposition in the stunning crystal beach along the Tanaro river.

Departure from Torino (nearby Palazzo delle Esposizioni) on the June 23rd at around 4pm. Afternoon visit to Mn rich dark sediments and diatomites. Evening in Pecetto di Valenza (Traditional Langhe Village) where a paleontological museum will be visited and dinner in a local trattoria. Departure to Asti to spend the night in accomodation included in the fee. On the next day visit to Messinian outcrops of sapropel, slumps, messinian gypsum cristals. Lunch at a local vineyard and wine testing experience. Late afternoon retourn trip to Turin.

POST-CONFERENCE FIELD TRIPS:

  • (FT3) - Mesozoic sequences and the K/Pg boundary around Perugia: one day (1/07), Price: 30 Euro. Minimum 15, maximum 30 participants.

A one-day field excursion to Gubbio and Piobbico will visit the major stage boundaries and oceanic events in Cretaceous and Paleogene.  A lunchtime visit to the historical city of Gubbio is included.

Field leaders: Michael Kaminski (KFUPM) - kaminski@kfupm.edu.sa; Fabrizio Frontalini (UniUrbino) - fabrizio.frontalini@uniurb.it

Departure directly from Conference Venue, visit to Bottacione Gorge to view the Campanian GSSP and the Cretaceous/Paleogene boundary. Walk on the ancient aqueduct towards the city of Gubbio. Free Lunch in Gubbio / free time for shopping. Short trip to the Contessa Road section to view the PETM and the Cenomanian/Turonian boundary. 14:30 Departure to Piobbico to view OAE1a (the Selli Event). 18:00 Arrival in Perugia, back to Conference venue.  

  • (FT4) - Upper Eocene of the Veneto Area: Price 350 euro. July 3rd and 4th. Min 15, max 25 participants CANCELLED

Field leaders: Luca Giusberti (Padova University; luca.giusberti@unipd.it); Valeria Luciani (Ferrara University; valeria.luciani@unife.it); Cesare A. Papazzoni (Modena and Reggio Emilia University; papazzoni@unimore.it).

Departure from Verona in the early morning of July 3rd, visit to Priabona (historical stratotype of the Priabonian) and surroundings. Transfer to the hotel near Possagno (historical parastratotype of the Priabonian). July 4th visit to Alano di Piave (GSSP of the base Priabonian). Includes also visit to the Antonio Canova's Museum and Tempio Canoviano. Lunchs and overnight stay included.

This fieldtrip aims to show go through  the classical localities where the Priabonian stage was erected in the 19th century and where the base of the stage is currently defined. All localities are rich in large and small fossil foraminifera. The Priabona stop will give us the opportunity to appreciate the Nummulites fabianii beds, the Discocyclina beds and the Asterocyclina beds. In Possagno and Alano di Piave, deposited in a deeper setting, smaller benthic and planktic foraminifera are abundant. Variations in their assemblages testify the biotic changes occurred at the Bartonian-Priabonian transition.