Report on the 8th edition of Italian Young Geomorphologists’ days

The VIII edition of Italian Young Geomorphologists’ days “Sharing experiences on geomorphological research in different morphogenetic and morphoclimatic environments” was held from 26th to 28th June 2019 at the Sala Napoleonica, University of Milan, and at Veny Valley (AO). The congress was jointly organized by Italian Association of Physical Geography and Geomorphology (AIGeo), Earth Sciences Department of University of Milan and Earth Sciences Department of University of Turin, under the auspices of the International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG), Italian Geological Society (SGI), Italian Galciological Committee (CGI) and Italian Association for Quaternary Research (AIQUA), and sponsored by Beta Analytic.

The meeting was attended by a total number of about 80 participants, of which about 60 were young geomorphologists, from 11 different countries (Austria; Brazil; Costa Rica; France; Greece; India; Italy; Poland; Romania; Russia; Switzerland). Moreover, 7 grants were awarded by the IAG to young geomorphologists coming from all over the world. Reports from Anita Bernatek-Jakiel, Elisa Giaccone, Anna Karkani, Nicusor Necula and Adolfo Quesada-Román can be accessed by clicking on their names. For French-speakers Monique Fort has also published a report in the bulletin of the Groupe Français de Géomorphologie, here. For Polish-speakers Anita Bernatek-Jakiel has written a report here.

Opening Ceremony

On 26th the opening of the congress was followed by a key note held by the IAG president Prof. M. Soldati and Dr. M. Della Seta (IAG training officer) about the training program of the International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG): state of the art and outlook for the future.

IAG president Prof. M. Soldati during his keynote

During the afternoon two sessions of oral presentations and one poster session occurred. The oral presentation sessions are about “Glacial and periglacial dynamics”, held by Dr. R.S. Azzoni and Prof. A. Zerboni, and “Geomorphological hazard assessment”, held by Dr. A. Masseroli and Prof. M. Fort, for a total of 8 oral presentations. The 46 contributions were presented during the miscellaneous poster session held by Dr. I.M. Bollati and Prof. M. Soldati.

Oral presentation at first scientific session on “Glacial and periglacial dynamics”

Coffee break and poster session

After the scientific sessions, the meeting participants moved to the City Centre for the Social Dinner.

Social dinner

On 27th the morning sessions starts with a key note about “Postglacial Relative Sea-Level databases from near- to intermediate-field regions. A key tool to quantify the on-going isostatic signal and future sea level rise along global coastlines” held by Dr. M. Vacchi.

Dr. M. Vacchi during his keynote

During the morning two oral presentation session took place: the first was about “Coastal dynamics” held by Dr. M. Vacchi. and Dr. G. Amato and the second was about “Fluvial and Lacustrine dynamics” held by Dr. G.S. Mariani and Dr. M. Materazzi, for a total of 7 oral presentations. In the afternoon, the election of AIGeo Junior Council took place and the new elected coordinators are: Mauro Bonasera, Ciro Cerrone, Anna Masseroli and Mariacristina Prampolini. Successively, the meeting of the YGs national delegates on “Building the IAG Network of Young Geomorphologists’ Groups “, supported by the IAG,  took place. During the meeting the YGs national delegates, financially supported by IAG, coming from 7 countries (Costa Rica-A. Quesada-Román; France- A. Dousseron; Greece- A. Karkani; Italy-C. Cerrone; Poland- A. Bernatek-Jakiel; Romania- N. Necula; Switzerland-E. Giaccone) and all the meeting participants discussed about the future role of young geomorphologist in IAG with Prof. M. Soldati and Dr. S. Conway.

IAG president Prof. M.Soldati, Dr. S. Conway, YGs national delegates and AIGeo Junior Council

On 27th June afternoon, as soon as the meeting and election of the AIGeo Junior Council & Meeting of the YGs’ delegates finished, about 40 participants from Italy, Switzerland, Romania, Costa Rica, France, India, Russia, Austria and Brazil moved to Courmayeur (Valle d’Aosta Region, Italy) by bus. We were hosted in shared rooms at “Rifugio Monte Bianco”, located at 1700 m a.s.l. and surrounded by the breathtaking landscape of the Mont Blanc massif.

Dinner at “Rifugio Monte Bianco”

After a delicious traditional dinner, Susan Conway from the Universitè de Nantes took an interesting “lesson under the stars” on the geomorphological “Mars-forms”, to discover periglacial geomorphology from the Alps to … Mars!

Lecture by Dr. Susan Conway

The following day, the field-trip, organized by the University of Turin, along the Veny Valley on the Italian side of the Mont Blanc Massif (4808 m a.s.l.), NW-Alps, took place starting from the Rifugio.

Prof M. Giardino during the field trip explanation

The field trip started with an introduction on the main geological and geomorphological aspects held by Prof. M. Giardino (University of Turin) and Prof. Philip Deline (University of Savoie Mont Blanc). Then we moved along the “Sentiero Balcone” (Balcony path), an ideal trail, following the right hydrographic side of the Veny Valley, that allows to have a very good view not only of the Miage Glacier, the most important debris covered glacier of the Italian Alps, but also of others landforms and processes such as glacial cirques, moraines and landslides. From the Balcony, we saw a clearly ongoing active process of rock avalanche!!

Panoramic view

Successively, we descended to the Plan Combal to see closely the moraines of the Miage and discuss the recent evolution, in terms of retreatment, of the glacier.

View of the Miage glacier from the “Balcone”

Finally, we saw the ice cliff and the Miage lake (2700m a.s.l.) actually separated into three different subbasin. Hydrological issues related to glacier and lake interaction were also illustrated. From the lake, we concluded our field trip at the bottom of the fluvioglacial plain of the la Visaille having a look, during the descent, on lateral moraines and mass wasting phenomena that are still active.

Group picture during the Veny Valley fieldtrip day

Photos, videos and the program with the financial supports are available at: http://www.aigeo.it/viii-italian-young-geomorphologists-days-first-announcement/

 

Coordinators Commitee of the Italian Young Geomorphologists

Italian Young Geomorphologists Group – AIGeo

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