Ivano W. Aiello

Specific Research Interests:

The Geological Oceanography Lab at Moss Landing is 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 our lab, together with other international institution and IODP, is conducting on the relationships between deeply buried marine sediments and microbial habitats, the global carbon cycles, and life in extreme environments. In collaboration with MBARI, our lab is 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 and in adjacent areas. Finally, our 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 Western Tethys.