International scientific organization

INQUA - International Union for Quaternary Research

The Quaternary Period covers roughly the last two million years of Earth's history, a period dominated by frequent changes in the global climate that led to glacial and interglacial age succession. The Quaternary scientists study the complex environmental changes of the ice ages and interpret them, comparing them with the processes and existing environments. One of the main goals of this research is to document the manner and timing of climate change in order to understand the reasons of climate change in various time scales. Such research is of primary importance: the Earth, under the influence of human activities, is entering a time of unusually warm climate in which significant and potentially fast environmental changes could represent important challenges for human habitat. Since the study of environmental changes is highly interdisciplinary, research on Quaternary involves a wide range of specialists in fields such as anthropology, climatology, geochronology, geography, geology, glaciology, isotope geochemistry, the paleo-oceanography, paleoecology, paleontology, palynology, and the science of soils.

Working jointly, Quaternary scholars bring their expertise and experience to read the ice age's unstable world and its impact on the environments and on the surface of our planet, as well as their possible role in human evolution. The paleo-climatic researches on the Quaternary play a key role in helping to assess the likely future course of climate change on our planet.

Info

Delegate

dott. GIOVANNI MONEGATO

CNR - Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse
Sede Secondaria di Padova
Via G. Gradenigo, 6 - 35131 Padova
Phone number: +39 049 827 9177
Email: giovanni.monegato@igg.cnr.it

Substitute delegate

dott.ssa ILARIA MAZZINI

CNR
Istituto di Geologia Ambientale e Geoingegneria
Via Salaria km 29,300 - 00015 Montelibretti (RM)
Email: ilaria.mazzini@igag.cnr.it

Reports INQUA

Last update: 28/03/2024