I am involved in several, innovative studies on both modern and past biosiliceous and biocalcareous marine sediments. These include: Modern and past depositional mechanisms of pelagic marine biogenic sediments. Bedding cycles in relation to global (orbital forcing) and local paleoceanographic patterns. Paleoceanography of the Monterey Formation of California. Fossil and modern seepages of oil- and gas-rich fluids in diatom-rich hemipelagic Neogene upwelling sediments along the continental margin of Central and Baja California.

 

Of particular interest is a pioneering investigation that I am conducting together with colleagues from UCSC, USGS and other international institution and IODP, on the relationships between deeply buried marine sediments and microbial habitats, the global carbon cycles, fluid flow in the continental margins and life in extreme environments.

 

In collaboration with USCS, MBARI and MLML, I am also performing regional tectonic and geologic studies on the Monterey Bay that include geologic mapping of the seafloor, and geophysical investigation and geologic mapping of the coast ranges of the Monterey Bay region. We also started the first paleoceanographic study of the region through the study of sediment cores collected both in the Monterey Bay.

 

Finally, my research activities also include sedimentologic, geologic and paleomagnetic investigations of Mesozoic marine sediments and ophiolites in the orogenic chains of the Mediterranean area, in collaboration with USGS and European Universities. The goal of this study is to reconstruct the paleogeography and the tectonic evolution of the Paleo-Pacific Ocean, the Tethys Ocean and other ancient ocean basins that formed after the breakup of Pangea during Mesozoic.