UNIVERSITÁ DEGLI STUDI DI MILANO
FACOLTÀ DI SCIENZE MATEMATICHE FISICHE E NATURALI
DIPARTIMENTO DI SCIENZE DELLA TERRA “ARDITO DESIO”
2012 Triassic Field Workshop
The Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra ‘A.Desio’ – UNIMI is glad to invite you for a field trip to
some of the best known Triassic localities of Lombardy. The Lombardian Basin yields one of the
best marine series for the Middle and Late Triassic, with world famous fossiliferous localities for
both vertebrates and invertebrates. Different paleoenvironments are well represented from
carbonatic platforms, both calcareous and dolomitized, to thick sequences of basinal rocks. Shallow
water platform to deep basin are well represented, sometime with the interfingering between them.
The general program will be with the arrival on September 1 (Saturday)) at the Hotel Serpiano
(www.serpiano.ch/ Canton Ticino, just across the Italian/Swiss border and in the MSG/UNESCO
area) where we will spend the night. (cost about 90 SFr for B&B plus 48 SFr for the dinner)
1. Sunday September 2 : visit to the Middle Triassic basinal sequence of Monte San Giorgio
(western Lombardy and Canton Ticino) (Besano Formation, MSG Dolomite, Meride
Limestone) with several rich fossiliferous levels (mainly Vertebrates). In the morning we
will visit the Meride Limestone sequence from Serpiano to Meride with two major
excavation sites, Acqua del Ghiffo and Val Mara (one hour walking along a nice path plus
geopaleontological stops). Move to the Italian side in Clivio or Besano for lunch, then visit
the Besano Formation outcrops nera Besano with the old mines and an excavation site. Late
in the afternoon drive East to Valsassina-Lecco for the night.
2. Monday September 3: The Grigna Middle Trias basinal series (Perledo-Varenna Formation,
Angolo Limestone, Prezzo Limestone, Buchenstein Formation, Esino Formation) also with
fossilifeous localities for both vertebrates (Early Ladinian Buchenstein Fm) and
invertebrates (Pelsonia brachiopods of top Angolo Fm). Dirty road for 7 km then one hour
walk with 400 m rise along a narrow path (plus stops). Late lunch in the Antonietta Lodge.
In the afternoon we drive to see Perledo-Varenna Fm. outcrops along road. Staying in the
same hotel.
3. Tuesday September 4: the Norian microbial-serpulid platform margin of ArtavaggioValsassina (Dolomia Principale) and its preserved slope- intraplatform basinal succession
(Dolomie Zonate, Calcare di Zorzino). Max day rise about 400m. Staying in the same hotel.
4. Wednesday September 5. The Late Triassic succession of Southern Bergamasc Prealps: the
Late Norian-Rhaetian basinal shales and marl-limestones cycles of Valle Imagna (Riva di
Solto Shales, Zu Limestone), the Norian-Rhaetian and the Tr/J boundaries on the Mt.
Albenza. End of the trip in the afternoon.
Segreteria Amministrativa
Via L. Mangiagalli, 34
20133 Milano
tel. 02.50315539
fax 02.50315540
Sezione di Geofisica
Via Cicognara, 7
20129 Milano
tel. 02.50318485
fax 02.50318489
Sezione di Mineralogia
Via S. Botticelli, 23
20133 Milano
tel. 02.50315600
fax 02.50315597
Sezione di Geologia e Paleontologia
Via L. Mangiagalli, 34
20133 Milano
tel. 02.50315499
fax 02.50315494
The hotel in Valsassina will cost about 40€/day half-board in 3-4 people rooms for about 40 people.
We are also trying to get some support from the Unesco site as well as from the Comunità Montana
della Valsassina.
The dead line for the preliminary registration is April 30. Please refer to Andrea Tintori
andrea.tintori@unimi.it
The organizing committee at UNIMI
Prof. Andrea Tintori, Prof Flavio Jadoul, Prof. Fabrizio Berra, Prof. Alda Nicora, Prof. Marco
Balini, Prof. Maurizio Gaetani
Milano, 15-02-2011