About Me
My passion for the Earth sciences started when I was 13 years old during the 1997 Umbria-Marche (Italy) earthquake (M=6.0). At that time I was living in Terni located approximately 50 km from the epicentre of the earthquake. I felt very strong ground shaking in the middle of the night, which at first scared me, then after reading about it, intrigued me. Since then, I have been increasingly fascinated by earthquakes physics, the physical and mechanical processes that lead to dynamic faulting, and why it is so difficult to forecast them in order to save human lives. Until now, my research has largely been focused on experimental rock physics and fault gouge rock deformation processes. My emphasis has been on the physico-chemical processes that control the evolution of frictional strength and hydrological properties along fault zones during the seismic cycle. I approach this problem by coupling laboratory experiments with seismology and modelling by passionaly developing new experimental techniques coupled with new hardware/software to put me in the best condition to advance our knowledge in earthquake physics and forecasting.
My university studies started at the Perugia University, where I achieved a bachelor degree in 2007, followed by a master degree in 2009. During my master I started to enjoy geophysics that culminated in an experimental thesis where I investigated the frictional properties of the Triassic Evaporites (i.e. anhydrite/dolomite rocks) that is though to be a key formation in the Appennines where seismicity originate.
In my PhD, I focused on the coupling of chemical-physical processes of fault gouge during the seismic cycle by having the opportunity to work in a world leading rock mechanics laboratory at the Pennsylvania state university (USA) under the supervision of Prof. Chris Marone. The creative and innovation driven environment at PSU permitted me to acquire very specific skills on experimental geophysics, data processing, technical drawing and hardware/software development. Apart from my own research, I have learned the collaborative nature of scientific advancement and the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to achieve major advancements.
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After the completion of my PhD, I decided to move to Italy to work within an ERC project (GLASS) led by Cristiano Collettini, which was developing a new experimental apparatus (BRAVA) . This was a big challenge for my career, nonetheless, by working with electronic engineering and seismologist, I was able to develop a state-of-the-art ultrasonic system and implement the prototype deformation apparatus. By coupling the newly developed acoustic system and analysis technique that took into account the P-wave coda with a new experimental technique that I have developed based on frictional theory, I demonstrated that: a) seismic precursors exist for the full spectrum of fault slip behaviors and b) the state of stress of a fault can be detected by waveform analysis.
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The long standing problem of laboratory experiments is that it is ambiguous how we can apply our findings to the natural scale. To advance our understanding of faulting phenomena we should find a common ground where data across scales can be compared and the physical processes at the origin of fault slip can be understood to inform physics driven forecasting models. The surging for energy demand coupled with new production techniques brought to my attention the phenomenon of induced seismicity. Induced earthquakes give us an unprecedented opportunity to study the role of fluids in faulting thanks to the frequency of these events and the well characterized boundary conditions under which they take place. Thanks to the EU Marie Sklodowska-Curie action IF FEAT I was able to independently work on this topic by coupling new state-of-the-art experimental techniques with data analysis software. I have developed unconventional creep experiments to document fault slip behavior upon fault reactivation induced by fluid pressure. I have shown that overpressurized fluids have a strong influence on fault rheological properties because they control the RSF parameters that dictate frictional stability. This was evident when I have used fluid pressure to reactivate a fault and documented that both earthquake rupture and accelerated aseismic creep can arise depending on the rheological properties, mineralogical composition and permeability of the fault.
After the Marie-Curie experience ended, thanks to my results that show a new and creative thinking I started to intensively collaborate with the industry. In particular I was sponsored by TOTAL to develop a new approach to understand fault permeability and leakage. This collaboration exposed me to a new vision of the fluid and faulting problem that brought me to develop a quantitative and predictive approach.
In September 2019 I have been appointed as an Assistant Professor Tenure Track at La Sapienza University of Rome. Here, I have the honor of developing new research infrastructures, that includes the design and realization of a new prototype experimental rock deformation apparatus, within the Exellence-Depertment Research Grant, and coordinate a heterogenous research group. Thanks to all the experience that I have gained and the great colleagues that I was lucky to work with throughout these years in 2021 I have decided to challenge myself in writing an ERC-Starting Grant. The experience it has been intense and the interview something that I will remember for a while. I was awarded the ERC-HYQUAKE in April 2022 and from June 1st, I have been started to give life to all the ideas I have. From September 2022 I have been appointed as Associate Professor in the department of Earth Science of La Sapienza. |
Apart from the research I am devoted to the mission of transfering my knowledge to the future generation of scientists. I strongly believe that “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire” (W. Yates). When I teach, my goal is to transmit the passion that I have for science and learning in general because sharing knowledge is at the base of our civilized society and it is the foundation to building a better world. I believe that an effective teacher is one that can transmit the curiosity of discovering, inspiring the students to develop their creativity and fine-tune their critical thinking skills, while helping them build the tools that they will need to be successful in their future careers.
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