Field Trip leaders/co-leaders: S. Branca and Mauro Coltelli (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Catania); G. Groppelli (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerca, Milano)
Duration: 4 days, 28^th June-1^st July
Meeting point/time: Catania, 14:00
Quote included: 3 alpine refuge/4 packed lunch/3 dinner/2 cableway/ insurance/2 bus transfers
Quote not included: flight
Ending point/time: terminal bus to airport, 14:00
Price: 850€
Minimum number of participants: 18

The field trip is focused on the main geological features of the volcanic succession of Etna and on the use of the stratigraphic units in the cartography of the volcanic environment. During the field trip we will visit the wide morphostructural depression of the Valle del Bove in the eastern flank of Etna characterized by subvertical walls, up to 1000 m high, where the volcanic succession of the past 100 ka is exposed. In particular, during the descent of the southwestern and northern walls we will stop to discuss stratigraphic topics and to have an overlook on the entire stratigraphic succession of key sector of the Etnean geological evolution. Finally, we will look at the stratigraphic relationships and the main lithological features of the oldest volcanic products that outcrop along the Ionian coast and the Simeto river valley.

Difficulty and additional notes: medium; participants will be walking, especially downhill, for a considerable part of the field trip. No mountaineering experience is required. Not recommended if prone to vertigo.Hiking boots, safety googles and rain coat required. Be aware that summer temperature may be particularity hot in Italy and you may need to protect your eyes and skin from the sun.

Greenhouse to icehouse transition in the Majella carbonate ramp (Eocene to Miocene)

Field Trip leaders/co-leaders: M. Brandano, I. Cornacchia and L. Tomassetti (Sapienza Università di Roma); Isabella Raffi, S. Ricci and A. Garzarella (Università “G. d’Annunzio” di Chieti-Pescara)
Duration: 2 days, 30^th June-1^st July
Meeting point/time: Rome, Termini railway station, 7:00
Ending point/time: Rome, Termini railway station, 18:00
Quote included: 1 night hotel/2 packed lunch/1 dinner/ insurance/2 day bus back to Milan
Quote not included: flight
Price: 500€
Minimum number of participants: 25

The field trip will provide a stratigraphic overview of the Majella stratigraphy, excellent continuous exposures of Cenozoic carbonate ramp deposits of the Majella Mt., along the NNW flank (e.g. Orfento, S. Spirito and S. Bartolomeo valleys), and permit to analyze the stratigraphic records across the Eocene to the Miocene. In the field trip we will provide the evidences of the main geological events recognized through an integrated stratigraphic analysis, involving a diversity of sedimentological, geochemical and palaeontological methodologies. Moreover, extensive well-known bitumen shows will be analyzed, and possible controlling factors will be discussed.

Difficulty and additional notes:  low; short hikes on easy trails of the Majella Park, with a maximum elevation difference of c. 200 m.Hiking boots, safety googles and rain coat required. Be aware that summer temperature may be particularity hot in Italy and you may need to protect your eyes and skin from the sun.

Stratigraphy and facies of the Triassic-Jurassic boundary interval

and of Mesozoic Oceanic Anoxic Events in the Apennine carbonate Platform (southern Italy)

Field Trip leaders/co-leaders: M. Parente and A. Iannace (DiSTAR, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II); S. Amodio (Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie, Università degli Studi di Napoli “Parthenope”)
Duration: 2 days, 29^th-30^th June
Meeting point/time: Napoli, 8:00
Ending point/time: Napoli, 19:00
Quote included:1 night hotel/2 packed lunch/ 1 dinner/Insurance/2 day bus
Quote not included: flight
Price: 470€
Minimum number of participants: 25

The Apennine Carbonate Platform of southern Italy witnesses nearly 150 my (Late Triassic to Late Cretaceous) of shallow-water carbonate sedimentation in the subtropical central Tethys. During this short field trip, we will have a look at the stratigraphy and facies evolution across some key intervals of global paleoenvironmental perturbation, including the Triassic-Jurassic boundary, the early Toarcian OAE, the Cretaceous OAE1a and OAE2. We will also look at Milankovitch cyclicity in the early Cretaceous (Hauterivian-Valanginian) and at some key unconformities like the middle Cretaceous bauxites and the early Miocene trangression.

Difficulty and additional notes: low; short walks on roads and easy trails.Hiking boots, safety googles and rain coat required. Be aware that summer temperature may be particularity hot in Italy and you may need to protect your eyes and skin from the sun.

Stratigraphic successions in Campania active volcanic areas

Field Trip leaders/co-leaders: P. Petrosino and C. Scarpati (Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell’Ambiente e delle Risorse, Università di Napoli Federico II)
Duration: 3 days, 29^th June-1^st July
Meeting point/time: Napoli Centrale railway station, 9:00
Ending point/time: Napoli, Centrale railway station, 17:00
Quote included: 2 night hotel /3 packed lunch/ 2 dinner / Insurance/ 3 day bus
Quote not included: flight
Price: 650€
Minimum number of participants: 23

The Neapolitan area is a multi-source volcanic zone characterized by three centers (Somma-Vesuvius, Campi Flegrei and Ischia Island) that have been active along the last 100 ka. The structure and the kind of activity of the three volcanoes is very different. Campi Flegrei are a volcanic field, almost exclusively characterized by explosive eruptions, Somma-Vesuvius, on the other hand, is a central volcano with both effusive and explosive activity. The impact of these volcanoes on the territory is exemplified by two famous historic eruptions, the Monte Nuovo eruption occurred at Campi Flegrei in 1538 AD and the worldwide known 79 AD Somma-Vesuvius eruption. The main aim of this field trip is to discuss the specific stratigraphic approach in volcanic areas, starting from the products of the most representative phlegraean and vesuvian eruptions. The participants will also observe some outcrops recently exposed in archaeological excavations.

Difficulty and additional notes: low; all outcrops easy to reach with short walks on low difficulty trails.Hiking boots, safety googles and rain coat required. Be aware that summer temperature may be particularity hot in Italy and you may need to protect your eyes and skin from the sun.

Permian to Lower-Middle Triassic continental succession of Nurra (NW Sardinia): stratigraphy, sedimentology and paleontology of a key section in southwestern paleoeurope

Field Trip leaders/co-leaders: A. Ronchi (University of Pavia, Italy); M. Romano and P. Citton (University of Rome, Italy); J. López-Gómez (University of Madrid, Spain); M. Durand (University of Nancy, France)
Duration: 3 days, 28^th-30^th June
Meeting point/time: Alghero Airport, early morning
Ending point/time: Alghero Airport, late afternoon
Quote included: 2 night hotel/ 2 packed lunch / 2dinner / Insurance/ 2 bus transfer
Quote not included: flight
Price: 670€
Minimum number of participants: 18

This excursion will offer a scenic tour in the best exposed Lower-Middle Permian to Lower-Middle Triassic (Buntsandstein) terrestrial sequence of Sardinia, which can be considered one of the key-sections for the whole western peri-Tethys. Different types of fluvial settings, and their richness of sedimentary structures, can be magnificently observed. Paleosols geochemistry and APS minerals content in the Permian and/or Buntsandstein will be a theme of discussion, as well as the new data on absolute dating on the Nurra and Provencal coeval successions. The unique and recent found vertebrate and tetrapod/invertebrate tracks localities, both in Permian and Triassic, will be shown.  Main topics of the excursion will be:

• Regional unconformities and tectonics aspects;
• Permian and Triassic fluvial facies and architectures;
• Mineralogical and geochemical aspects;
• Vertebrate sites and taphonomy;
• Vertebrate and invertebrate ichnological sites.

 Difficulty and additional notes: medium; participants with be hiking on medium length trails along the rocky coast.Hiking boots, safety googles and rain coat required. Be aware that summer temperature may be particularity hot in Italy and you may need to protect your eyes and skin from the sun.