Image: Mattia Pistone travels through human & geological time By David Terraso “Geology occurs in deep time, having much longer time scales than human history,” said Pistone, assistant professor of geology in the Franklin College of Arts & Sciences. “Volcanoes span all geological histories because they stretch from a long time ago to some that are so new that they are younger than my students.” “Mount Etna is considered one of the largest emitters of mercury in the world,” said Pistone. “We did a sampling campaign to understand how much mercury can be accumulated in organic materials like insects, plants and soil and then into the surrounding ecosystem.” “Our hypothesis is that more mercury is related to a larger eruption size,” Pistone said. “If we find those correlations, maybe we can use mercury as a tool to monitor the status of the volcano.” Read the full article @UGAResearch Field Crew - (left to right) undergraduate student Grace Cantele, research scientist Sarah Jantzi of the Center for Applied Isotope Studies, master’s student Carlynn Daniel, research professional Brittany Barnes of the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, and Pistone. (Photo by Michele Buccoleri) Pistone’s field crew hikes down toward the Rifugio Giovanni Sapienza, the highest point on Mount Etna reachable by automobile. (Photo by Mattia Pistone) Read More: UGA Research News
