BIOSKETCH

I earned my Master’s degree in Geological Sciences at the University of Florence, and my PhD at the University of Bologna in Italy. My graduate and doctoral research has focused on geologic studies of the orogenic chains of the peri-Mediterranean region and of Central America. During my studies in Italy I developed an extensive background in field-oriented geologic disciplines, including structural geology, sedimentology and geologic field mapping. My dissertations and published work include paleogeographic studies of ancient (Mesozoic) ophiolite and continental margin sequences, and several geologic maps.

 

During my post-doctoral studies at the University of California, under the guidance of Professor Robert Garrison, my research expanded to include the study of modern and ancient geologic processes along continental margins, and in particular the Californian margin. My post-doctoral studies on the bedded biosiliceous (diatom) sediments of the Monterey Formation of California demonstrated that strong, orbital (Milankovitch) paleoclimatic fluctuations of coastal upwelling have controlled the deposition of these sediments during the Miocene. My post-doctoral activity has also involved field- and laboratory-based onshore and offshore investigations of the geology of the Monterey Bay region, including studies of the relationships between fluid flow and tectonics in fossil seepages of hydrocarbon-rich fluids discovered in the northern Santa Cruz County.

 

I have been the leader of the sedimentary analysis team on the Ocean Drilling Program Leg 201 in early 2002. This was the first ocean drilling project to focus on the interdisciplinary study of deeply buried life in the eastern equatorial Pacific and the Peru margin. The results of the post-cruise research activity and the results of my studies on the relationships between subseafloor microbial activity and sediment composition have been published in prestigious journals including Science and Nature.

 

Since 2001 I first worked as Adjunct Professor and then as Assistant Professor in the wonderful and stimulating environment of MLML. These have been the most prolific years of my career with regard to both research and education, and the working and human environment of MLML has strongly catalyzed my professional and personal growth.

 

 

EDUCATION

1997		Doctor of Philosophy in Earth Sciences, University of Bologna (Italy)
1992		Master of Science in Earth Sciences, University of Florence (Italy)

PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS

2006-pres.		Associate Professor of Geological Oceanography, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, San Jose State University
2006-2009		Board Member of the Science Steering and Evaluation Panel of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program’s (IODP) Science Advisory Structure
2003-2006		Adjunct Professor of Geological Oceanography, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories
2002-2010		Research Associate at the Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), Santa Cruz, CA
2001-2002		Research Associate, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, California State University
2001		Lecturer, Department of Ocean and Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz
1995-1999		Lecturer, Earth Sciences Department, University of Florence, Italy

COURSES TAUGHT AT MLML

• Geological Oceanography (MS 141)

• Marine Sedimentation (MS 274)

• Frontiers in Geobiology (MS 285)

• Geological Oceanography (MS 141)

• Climate Changes in Marine Sciences (MS 285)

• Coastal Dynamics (MS 281)

• Geological Hazards (MS 286)

• Sedimentation and Paleoceanography (MS 274)

• Marine Environmental Studies of the Gulf of California (MS 273)

• Marine Habitat Mapping Techniques (MS 248)

• Geology of the Monterey Bay Region (MS 246)

• Coastal and Nearshore Environments (MS 285)

• Plate Tectonics (MS 286)

 

 

PUBLICATIONS

Aiello I.W., Hagstrum J.T., and Principi G., Paleomagnetism of Jurassic Radiolarian Cherts of Greece. Tectonophysics, (in press).

Master P.M. and Aiello I.W., 2007, Chapter 3: Post-Glacial Evolution of Coastal Environments. In: California Prehistory. T.L. Jones and K.A. Klar (Eds.), Altamira Press, Berkely, CA.

Aiello I.W. and Kellett K., 2006, Sedimentology of open-ocean biogenic sediments from ODP Leg 201, Eastern Equatorial Pacific (Sites 1225, 1226).
In: Scientific Report 101, Ocean Drilling Program,http://odp.pangaea.de/publications/201_SR/main.htm.

Parkes R.J., Webster G., Barry A.C., Weightman A.J., Newberry C.J., Ferdelman T., Kallmeyer J., Jorgensen B.B., Aiello I.W., Fry J.C., 2005, Deep sub-seafloor prokaryotes stimulated at interfaces over geological time: Nature, 436, p. 390-394.

Aiello I.W., 2005, Fossil Seep Structures of the Monterey Bay Region and Tectonic/Structural Controls on Fluid Flow in an Active Transform Margin. In: Geobiology of Ancient and Modern Methane-Seeps. J. Peckman and J. Goedert (Eds.). Palaeoceanography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, V. 227, 124-142.

Bortolotti V., Mannori G., Piccini L., Aiello I.W., Chiari M., Principi G. e Reale V., 2005, Note illustrative della Carta Geologica d’Italia, alla scala 1:50.000 – Foglio 232. Servizio Geologico Nazionale of Italy, Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato.

Steven D’Hondt, Bo Barker Jørgensen, D. Jay Miller, Ruth Blake, Barry A. Cragg, Gerald R. Dickens, Timothy Ferdelman, Kai-Uwe Hinrichs, Nils G. Holm, Richard Mitterer, Arthur Spivack, Barbara Bekins, Kathryn Ford, Glen Gettemy, C. Gregory Skilbeck, Ivano W. Aiello, Heribert Cypionka, Gilles Guèrin, Christopher House, Fumio Inagaki, Patrick Meister, Thomas Naehr, Sachiko Niitsuma, R. John Parkes, Axel Schippers, David C. Smith, Andreas Teske, Juergen Wiegel, Christian Naranjo Padilla, Juana Luz Solis Acosta, Guizhi Wang, Scott D. Rutherford, 2004, Distributions of metabolic activities in deep subseafloor sediments. Science, 306, 2216-2221.

Aiello I. W., Hagstrum J.T., and Principi G., 2004, Late Miocene remagnetization within the internal sector of the Northern Apennines, Italy: Tectonophysics, V. 383, p. 1-14.

Leg 201 Shipboard Scientific Party, and Aiello I.W., 2003. Initial Report 101, Ocean Drilling Program, http://www-odp.tamu.edu/publications/201_IR/201ir.htm.

Aiello I. W. and Hagstrum J.T., 2001, Paleomagnetism and paleogeography of Jurassic radiolarian cherts from the Northern Apennines of Italy: Geol. Society of America Bulletin, v.113(4), p.469-481.

Aiello I.W., Garrison R. E., Moore J.C., Kastner M., and Stakes D.S., 2001, Anatomy and origin of carbonate structures in a Miocene cold seep field: Geology, v. 29 (11).

Moore J. C., Garrison R. E., Aiello I.W., Thompson B. J., Stakes D.S., and Salamy K. A.,1999, Modern and ancient fluid seep system in the Monterey Bay Region, California: surface and subsurface operations. In: Late Cenozoic fluid seeps and tectonics along the San Gregorio Fault Zone, in the Monterey Bay Region, California. Pacific Section AAPG, GB76, 93-117.

Aiello I.W., Stakes D.S., Kastner M., and Garrison R. E., 1999, Carbonate vent structures in the upper Miocene Santa Cruz Mudstone at Santa Cruz, California. In: Late Cenozoic fluid seeps and tectonics along the San Gregorio Fault Zone, in the Monterey Bay Region, California. Pacific Section AAPG, v. GB76, pp. 35-52.

Aiello I.W. and Chiari M., 1995, Cretaceous Radiolarian Cherts of Western Cuba.Ofioliti, 20 (2), 123-128.

Aiello I.W., 1995, A record of Middle Jurassic bottom-current activity in Western Tethys: evidence from the Kalur Cherts of the Mirdita Ophiolites (Northern Albania). Ofioliti 21(1), 63-70.

Aiello I.W., 1994, Key-Beds in Tuscan Cherts in the Lima Valley and adjoining areas (Tuscan Sequence, Northern Apennines). Mem. Soc. Geol. It. 48, 1010-107.

Aiello I.W., 1994, Stratigraphy of Monte Alpe Cherts in Eastern Liguria, Italy. Ofioliti, 19 (2a), 301-306.