Personale docente

POSITION: ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR (PETROLOGY)

Education

1987 –Degree in Geological Sciences, University of Parma, Italy 1992

- PhD in Earth Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy, Thesis: “Petrology and Geochemistry of the Monte Arci (Sardinia) volcanic complex”

Positions Since 1994: Permanent Research position in Petrology at University of Parma

Since 2013: National Qualification as Associate Professor

Teaching:

- Petrography (Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Parma - Bachelor Degree)

- Petrogenesis and Geodynamics (Earth Sciences, University of Parma - Master Degree)

- Supervisor of Master and PhD Thesis in Earth Sciences

Research interests

- Petrology of ophiolitic rocks

- Lithological and geochemical heterogeneities in the subcontinental mantle

- Petrology, geochemistry and and tectono-metamorphic evolution of continental lower crustal rocks

 - Petrology and geochemistry of post-collisional and anorogenic Cenozoic magmatism the Mediterranean area Scientific and Institutional activities

The scientific activity of Alessandra Montanini is mostly focused on the petrology and geochemistry of ophiolites and mantle peridotites. The research includes: (1) study of lithological and geochemical heterogeneities in the mantle, mainly represented by pyroxenites, and processes of crustal recycling. The research on mantle pyroxenites is carried out using different geochemical approaches based both on lithophile and highly siderophile (HSE) elements and radiogenic isotopes (Nd, Hf, Os, Pb). The peridotite/pyroxenite associations occurring in exhumed mantle sequences from the Northern Apennine ophiolites (Italy) are investigated as proxies to understand the characteristics, origin and evolution of the heterogeneities present in the sources of the oceanic basalts. (2) field-based studies of fossil oceanic lithosphere formed at different geodynamic settings (ocean-continent transition, slow-ultraslow spreading ridges, supra-subduction zones). In particular, these studies aim to elucidate the processes of partial melting and melt-rock reaction/refertilization affecting the mantle sections of ophiolitic sequences from the Northern Apennines, Western Alps and New Caledonia. Different isotope systematics (Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf-Os) are employed to trace the heterogeneity of the depleted peridotites. This research line has been also devoted to the petrogenesis of magmatic rocks formed in the nascent island arcs. The scientific activity of Alessandra Montanini has been also addressed to investigate petrology, geochemistry and tectono-metamorphic evolution of continental lower crustal rocks and petrology and geochemistry of postcollisional and anorogenic Cenozoic magmatism in the Mediterranean area

Scientific and Institutional activities

Coordinator of the Working Group on Mediterranean Ophiolites from 2003 to 2011

Co-Organizer of international workshop and field meetings on ophiolites and oceanic lithosphere: Peridotite Workshop" 2005, Lanzo (TO) Italy - Corsica Field trip, 2007 - Alpine Ophiolites and Modern Analogues Workshop, Parma, 2009 - 2019-

Since 2018: Member of the management board of the Italian Society of Mineralogy and Petrology (SIMP)

Seminars and invited talks in various italian and international meetings and schools. Most recent were held at the International Winter School “Melting and fluid/melt-rock reactions in the mantle”, Pavia 13-17 February 2017 (“Recycled crust in the mantle: evidence from natural samples and implications for the heterogeneities in the OIB-MORB sources”), Geosciences Montpellier in 2018 (“From crustal protoliths to mantle pyroxenites: a highly siderophile elements and Os isotope perspective from the Ligurian mantle section (N Apennine, Italy)” and Université de la Nouvelle Caledonie in 2019 (“Origin and evolution of the New Caledonia ophiolite: a reappraisal based on recent geochemical and Sr, Nd, Pb investigations”)

Co-organizer of the National Meeting: Congresso nazionale SIMP-SGI (Società Italiana di Mineralogia e  Società Geologica Italiana), Parma 16-19 settembre

Editorial activity

-Guest Editor of Lithos Special issue "Alpine Ophiolites and Modern Analogues" (Montanini, A., Tribuzio, R., Piccardo, G.B., Dick, H. (2011) - Alpine ophiolites and modern analogues, Lithos, 124 (3-4), doi:10.1016/j.lithos.2011.03.012

-"Ofioliti" Associate Editor since 2014 

- "Ofioliti" Executive Editor starting from 2019

Recent funded projects:

- Responsible of the Parma Unit Research for PRIN 2015 Grant "Melt-rock reaction and melt migration in the MORB mantle through combined natural and experimental studies" (P.I. Elisabetta Rampone, Univ. of Genova https://m-in-m-project.com)

- Participation to the project “Tracing subducted crust in the oceanic mantle with siderophile elements and transition metal stable isotopes and implications for the sources of basaltic volcanism" (P.I. Ambre Luguet, Bonn University)”, funded by DFG (Germany), http://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/277251666

Some selected Pubblications

Maurizot, P., Cluzel, D., Patriat, M., Collot, J., Iseppi M., Lesimple, S., Secchiari, A., Bosch, D., Montanini, A., Macera, P. (2019) - New Caledonia: - Chapter 5. The Eocene subduction-obduction complex. Geological Society of London Memoirs, in press

-Secchiari, A., Montanini, A., Bosch, D., Macera, P., Cluzel, D. (2019)- Sr, Nd, Pb and trace element systematics of the New Caledonia harzburgites: tracking source depletion and contamination processes in a SSZ setting. Geoscience Frontiers, in press

-Secchiari, A., Montanini, A., Bosch, D., Macera, P., Cluzel, D. (2019)- Origin of the spinel-pyroxene symplectites in the harzburgites from the New Caledonia Peridotite. Ofioliti 44, 31-42,https://doi.org/10.4454/ofioliti.v44i1.463

-Secchiari, A., Montanini, A., Bosch, D., Macera, P., Cluzel, D. (2018) - The contrasting geochemical message from the New Caledonia gabbronorites: insights on depletion and contamination processes of the sub-arc mantle in a nascent arc setting. Contrib. Mineral.Petrol., -173, 66- https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-018-1496-8

Secchiari, A., Montanini, A., Bosch, D., Macera, P., Cluzel, D. (2016) - Melt extraction and enrichment processes in the New Caledonia lherzolites: evidence from geochemical and Sr-Nd isotope data. Lithos 260, 28-43, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2016.04.030

-Montanini, A., Tribuzio, R. (2015) - Evolution of recycled crust within the mantle: constraints from the garnet pyroxenites of the External Ligurian ophiolites, N Apennine, Italy. Geology, 43: 911-914, https://doi.org/10.1130/G36877.1

Beltrando, M., Zibra, I., Montanini, A., Tribuzio, R. (2013) - Crustal thinning and exhumation along a fossil magma-poor distal margin preserved in Corsica: a hot rift to drift transition? Lithos, 168-169: 99-112, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2013.01.017.

- Montanini, A., Tribuzio, R., Thirlwall, M. (2012) - Garnet clinopyroxenite layers from the mantle sequences of the Northern Apennine ophiolites (Italy): evidence for recycling of crustal material. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 351-352: 171-181, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2012.07.033

Montanini A., Tribuzio R., Bersani D. (2010) - Insights into the origin of mantle graphite and sulphides in garnet pyroxenites from the External Liguride peridotites (Northern Apennine, Italy) in: (M. Coltorti, H. Downes, M. Gregoire, O' Reilly S.Y. eds.) "Petrological evolution of the EuropeanLithospheric Mantle", Geological Society of London Special Publication 337, 87-105

Montanini A., Tribuzio R., Anczkiewicz R. (2006) - Exhumation history of a garnet pyroxenite-bearing mantle section from a continent-ocean transition(Northern Apennine ophiolites, Italy). J. Petrol. 47, 1943- 1971, https://doi.org/10.1093/petrology/egl032