Belmonte Donato

SHORT BIOGRAPHY

I'm currently Associate Professor (Professore Associato) at Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell'Ambiente e della Vita (DISTAV), University of Genova. I received my PhD in 2013 discussing a Thesis in Computational Geochemistry entitled 'Ab initio thermodynamics of deep mantle minerals: the system MgO-SiO2', which was awarded by the Italian Society of Mineralogy and Petrology (SIMP) as best PhD Thesis in 2013. From 2013 to 2016 I was Research Associate (Ricercatore di tipo a) at DISTAV, then I was Invited Visiting Scientist (Maître de conférences invité) at Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP) (Paris, France) in the framework of “IPGP Visiting Professor Program 2016”. At IPGP I worked on a research project focused on the theoretical prediction of melting behaviour of dense magnesium silicates in the deep mantle by a combined approach of ab initio DFT calculations and computational thermodynamics. On the same topic I gave an invited talk at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU 2016) in the session on 'Planetary Liquids'. In 2018 I received the Scientific Habilitation (ASN) to Associate Professor in Geochemistry, Mineralogy, Petrology, Volcanology and Georesources and in 2019 I gained a Permanent Position as Associate Professor in Geochemistry and Volcanology at Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell'Ambiente e della Vita (DISTAV), University of Genova.

I am lecturer in charge of the 'Geochemistry' course for the Bachelor Degree Course (Laurea Triennale) and of the 'Volcanology' course for the Master Degree Course (Laurea Magistrale) in Geological Sciences at DISTAV, University of Genova. Furthermore, I am lecturer in charge of 'Introduction to Mineral Physics' for the Ph.D course in 'Scienze e Tecnologie per l'Ambiente e il Territorio' (STAT), University of Genova. I was supervisor of 12 B.Sc. Thesis, 8 M.Sc. Thesis and 4 curricular traineeships.

I gave several invited talks and lectures (2 keynotes) and I organized scientific sessions at national and international meetings, workshops and Ph.D schools. 

My current research deals with the ab initio thermodynamics and geochemistry of solids, glasses, fluids and melts with special focus on: i) computational mineral physics, lattice dynamics and thermochemistry of minerals at high pressure and temperature conditions; ii) computational thermodynamics, phase diagrams and melting phase relations in the Earth's deep interior. Since 2010 I authored or co-authored more than 20 papers on international peer-reviewed journals. I am PI and co-PI of several funded research projects (PRIN2017 “Oceanic Megatransforms: a New Class of Plate Boundaries” - Progetti di Ricerca di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale, funded by MIUR - Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca, among them).

ACADEMIC CAREER

2009 – M.S. degree in Geology: DIPTERIS, University of Genova (Italy). Votation: 110/110 cum laude

2010 – 2012 – Ph.D in Computational Geochemistry at DISTAV, University of Genova (Italy). Title of the Thesis:”Ab initio thermodynamics of deep mantle minerals: the system MgO-SiO2”. Supervisor: Prof. Giulio Ottonello (University of Genova, Italy)

2013 – 2016 – Research Associate (Ricercatore a Tempo Determinato RTD tipo a) at DISTAV, University of Genova (Italy)

2016 – Invited Visiting Scientist (Maître de conférences invité) at Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP) (Paris, France) in the framework of "IPGP Visiting Professor Program" (1st May – 31st May 2016)

2016 – 2019 – Assistant Professor (Ricercatore a Tempo determinato RTD tipo b) (tenure-track position) at DISTAV, University of Genova (Italy)

2018 – Scientific Habilitation (ASN) to Associate Professor (Geochemistry, Settore Concorsuale 04/A1 – Geochimica, Mineralogia, Petrologia, Vulcanologia, Georisorse e Applicazioni)

2019 – present – Associate Professor in Geochemistry (Professore Associato) at DISTAV, University of Genova (Italy)

PUBLICATIONS ON PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS

1. Ottonello, G., Civalleri, B., Ganguly, J., Perger, W.F., Belmonte, D., and Vetuschi Zuccolini, M (2010) Thermo-chemical and thermo-physical properties of the high-pressure phase anhydrous B (Mg14Si5O24): An ab-initio all-electron investigation. American Mineralogist, 95, 563-573.

2. Ottonello, G., Vetuschi Zuccolini, M., and Belmonte, D. (2010) The vibrational behaviour of silica clusters at the glass transition: Ab-initio calculations and thermodynamic implications. J. Chem. Phys., 133, 104508.

3. Vetuschi Zuccolini, M., Ottonello, G., and Belmonte, D. (2011) Ab-initio assessment of conventional standard-state thermodynamic properties for geochemically relevant gaseous and aqueous species. Computers & Geosciences, 37, 646-661.

4. Nestola, F., Nardini, L., Pasqual, D., Periotto, B., Lucchetti, G., Miletich, R., and Belmonte, D. (2012) Compressibility of NaMnSi2O6: The role of electronic isovalency for the validity of bulk modulus – volume relationship. Solid State Sciences, 14, 1036-1039.

5. Ottonello, G., Attene, M., Ameglio, D., Belmonte, D., Vetuschi Zuccolini, M., and Natali, M. (2013). Thermodynamic investigation of the CaO-Al2O3-SiO2 system at high P and T through polymer chemistry and convex-hull techniques. Chemical Geology, 346, 81-92.

6. Kampf, A.R., Roberts, A.C., Venance, K.E., Carbone, C., Belmonte, D., Dunning, G.E., and Walstrom, R.E. (2013) Cerchiaraite-(Fe) and cerchiaraite-(Al), two new barium cyclosilicate chlorides from Italy and California, USA. Mineralogical Magazine, 77(1), 69-80, doi: 10.1180/minmag.2013.077.1.07.

7. Bindi, L., Carbone, C., Belmonte, D., Cabella, R., and Bracco, R. (2013) Weissite from Gambatesa mine, Val Graveglia, Liguria, Italy: occurrence, composition and determination of the crystal structure. Mineralogical Magazine, 77(3), 475-483.

8. Belmonte, D., Ottonello, G., and Vetuschi Zuccolini, M. (2013) Melting of α-Al2O3 and vitrification of the undercooled alumina liquid: Ab initio vibrational calculations and their thermodynamic implications. J. Chem. Phys., 138, 064507, doi:10.1063/1.4790612.

9. Belmonte, D., Ottonello, G., and Vetuschi Zuccolini, M. (2014) Ab initio thermodynamic and thermophysical properties of sapphirine end-members in the join Mg4Al8Si2O20 – Mg3Al10SiO20. American Mineralogist, 99, 1449-1461.

10. Erba, A., Mahmoud, A., Belmonte, D., and Dovesi, R. (2014) High pressure elastic properties of minerals from ab initio simulations: the case of pyrope, grossular and andradite silicate garnets. J. Chem. Phys., 140, 124703.

11. De La Pierre, M., and Belmonte, D. (2016) Ab initio investigation of majorite and pyrope garnets : lattice dynamics and vibrational spectra. American Mineralogist, 101, 162-174.

12. Scambelluri, M., Bebout, G.E., Belmonte, D., Gilio, M., Campomenosi, N., Collins, N., and Crispini, L. (2016) Carbonation of subduction-zone serpentinite (high-pressure ophicarbonate; Ligurian Western Alps) and implications for the deep carbon cycling. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 441, 155-166.

13. Belmonte, D., Gatti, C., Ottonello, G., Richet, P., and Vetuschi Zuccolini, M. (2016) Ab initio thermodynamic and thermophysical properties of sodium metasilicate, Na2SiO3, and their electron-density and electron-pair-density conunterparts. J. Phys. Chem. A, 120, 8881-8895.

14. Belmonte, D., Ottonello, G., Vetuschi Zuccolini, M., and Attene, M. (2017) The system MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 under pressure: A computational study of melting relations and phase diagrams. Chemical Geology, 461, 54-64.

15. Zucchini, A., Prencipe, M., Belmonte, D., and Comodi, P. (2017) Ab initio study of the dolomite to dolomite-II high-pressure phase transition. Eur. J. Mineral., 29, 227-238.

16. Belmonte, D. (2017) First principles thermodynamics of minerals at HP-HT conditions: MgO as a prototypical material. Minerals, 7, 183.

17. Belmonte, D., Ottonello, G., Vetuschi Zuccolini, M. (2017) Ab initio-assisted assessment of the CaO-SiO2 system under pressure. CALPHAD, 59, 12-30.

18. Kampf, A.R., Carbone, C., Belmonte, D., Nash, B.P., Chiappino, L., and Castellaro, F. (2017) Alpeite, Ca4Mn3+2Al2(Mn3+Mg)(SiO4)2(Si3O10)(V5+O4) (OH)6, a new ardennite-group mineral from Italy. European Journal of Mineralogy, 29, 907-914.

19. Kolitsch, U, Merlino, S., Belmonte, D., Carbone, C., Cabella, C., Lucchetti, L., and Ciriotti, M.E. Lavinskyite-1M, K(LiCu)Cu6(Si4O11)2(OH)4, the monoclinic MDO equivalent of lavinskyite-2O (formerly lavinskyite), from the Cerchiara manganese mine, Liguria, Italy. European Journal of Mineralogy, in press, doi: 10.1127/ejm/2018/0030-2731.

20. Kampf, A.R., Rossman, G.R., Ma, C., Belmonte, D., Biagioni, C., Castellaro, F., and Chiappino, L., Ramazzoite, [Mg8Cu12(PO4)(CO3)4(OH)24 (H2O)20][(H0.33SO4)3(H2O)36], the first mineral with a polyoxometalate cation. European Journal of Mineralogy, in press, doi: 10.1127/ejm/2018/0030-2748.

21. Biagioni, C, Belmonte, D., Carbone, C., Cabella, R., Zaccarini, F. and Balestra, C. (2019) Arsenmedaite, Mn2+6As5+Si5O18(OH), the arsenic analogue of medaite, from the Molinello mine, Liguria, Italy: occurrence and crystal structure. European Journal of Mineralogy 31, 117-126.

SELECTED TALKS

2019 – Thermodynamics and melting phase relations of MgSiO3 polymorphs at mantle transition zone conditions: a first principles assessment. 11th Silicate Melt Workshop, La Petite Pierre (Alsace, France), 3 October 2019 (INVITED)

2019 – Ab initio thermodynamics of deep mantle phase transitions and seismic discontinuities: the role of MgSiO3 polymorphs. General meeting SIMP-SGI-SoGeI Parma 2019, Parma (Italy), 18 September 2019 (KEYNOTE)

2019 – Thermodynamics, elasticity and phase stability of grossite (CaAl4O7) at high pressure and temperature. MISCA V 2019 – Fifth Meeting of the Italian (AIC) and Spanish Crystallographic (GE3C) Associations, Napoli (Italy), 6 September 2019 (INVITED)

2019 – Computational mineralogy: from atomic to global-scale processes. Symposium SIMP-AIC in honour of “Fiorenzo Mazzi, pioniere della Cristallografia Italiana”, Pavia (Italy), 14 June 2019 (INVITED)

2017 – Unraveling chemical complexity in solid solutions: the interplay between experimental and computational investigation. XLVI Meeting of the Italian Crystallographic Association (AIC), Perugia (Italy), 28th June 2017 (KEYNOTE)

2016 – Theoretical prediction of melting relations in the deep mantle: the phase diagram approach. American Geophysical Union AGU 2016, San Francisco (USA), 13th December 2016 (INVITED)

2016 – Ab initio thermodynamics of deep mantle processes: the mineral physics perspective. School on “Modelling the mineralogical world: how and why”, University “La Sapienza”, Roma (Italy), 14th June 2016 (INVITED)

2016 – Quantum Geochemistry: theoretical prediction of melting behaviour and phase relations of minerals in the deep mantle. Institute de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP), Paris (France), 23rd May 2016 (INVITED)

2015 – Combining DFT and computational thermodynamics to predict melting phase relations in MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 system at deep mantle conditions. 10th Silicate Melt Workshop, La Petite Pierre (Alsace, France), 13-17 October 2015 (INVITED)

2015 – Performance of hybrid density functionals in predicting thermodynamic properties of minerals at high pressure and high temperature. CALPHAD XLIV - International Conference on Computer Coupling of Phase Diagrams and Thermochemistry, Loano (Italy), 31st May – 5th June 2015

2015 – Thermodynamics and phase diagrams calculation at high pressure and temperature: theory and practice. School on “Mineral Physics: practical applications and geological implications”, Brixen (Italy), 2-5 February 2015 (INVITED)

2014 – Schröding the Earth: how computational thermodynamics reveal deep Earth’s mineralogy”. International Year of Crystallography (IYCr 2014), Palermo (Italy), 19th December 2014 (INVITED)

2014 – Quantum Geochemistry: simulating physico-chemical properties of materials in the deep Earth. Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Genova, Italy, 31st March 2014 (INVITED)

2014 – Ab initio thermodynamics and seismic properties of MgSiO3 polymorphs at mantle transition zone conditions: the geodynamic role of non-olivine phases. European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2014 (EGU2014), Vienna (Austria), 27th April – 2nd May 2014

2013 – Ab initio thermodynamics of minerals at deep Earth conditions. Department of Chemistry, University of Torino (Italy), 24th April 2013 (INVITED)

2013 – Ab initio thermodynamics: from lattice vibrations to phase equilibria calculation. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Perugia (Italy), 17th April 2013 (INVITED)

2013 – Effects of thermophysical parameterization on phase diagrams topology at high pressure and temperature: insights from ab initio calculations. Colloquium on the build-up of petrological phase diagrams, Santa Margherita (Italy), 28th March 2013 (INVITED)

2011 – First principles thermodynamics of oxides and silicates in the Mg-Si-O system: application to phase equilibria calculation at high pressures and temperatures.DGK-DMG-ÖMG Joint Meeting – Crystals, Minerals and Materials, Salzburg (Austria), 20-24 September 2011

2010 – Ab initio thermodynamics: from lattice vibrations to phase equilibria calculation. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Torino (Italy), 19th November 2010 (INVITED)

2010 – Ab initio calculation of seismic velocities of phase AnhB (Mg14Si5O24) and implication for the 300 km discontinuity in the Earth’s mantle. International Mineralogical Association 20th General Meeting (IMA2010), Budapest (Hungary), 21-27 August 2010

2009 – Ab initio thermal expansion, the mode-gamma analysis in the quasi-armonic approximation: some examples of application in the Mg-Si-O system. CALPHAD XXXVIII, Prague (Czech Republic), 17-22 May 2009

AWARDS

2013 – Award by Società Italiana di Mineralogia e Petrografia (SIMP) for the best Ph.D Thesis [announcement in ELEMENTS, 2013, 9(6), p. 460]

FUNDED PROJECTS (as PI)

2019 - ongoing - PRIN 2017 “Oceanic Megatransforms: a New Class of Plate Boundaries” (Project No. 2017KY5ZX8) - Progetti di Ricerca di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale funded by Ministero dell'Istruzione dell'Università e della Ricerca (MIUR) (as co-PI)

2017 - 2019 - FFABR 2017 - Finanziamento MIUR delle Attività Base di Ricerca per Ricercatori Legge 11 dicembre 2016 n. 23, funded by Ministero dell'Istruzione dell'Università e della Ricerca (MIUR) (as PI)

2014 – 2016 - PRA 2014 "Ab initio thermodynamics and crystal chemistry of the manganese oxides pyrolusite (MnO2), bixbyite (Mn2O3) hausmannite (Mn3O4) and manganosite (MnO)", funded by University of Genova (as PI)

2013 – 2015 - PRA2013 "Thermodynamics of silicate melts at high pressure: numerical modelling and implications for magmas”, funded by University of Genova (as PI)

OTHER FUNDED PROJECTS (as Participant)

2008 - 2010 - PRA 2008 "Thermodynamic properties of alphabetic phases in the system Mg-Si-O-H", funded by University of Genova

2011-2013 - PRA 2011 "Ab initio characterization of seismic discontinuities in the Earth's mantle", funded by University of Genova

2011-2013 - PRIN MIUR 2009 "Topology of phase diagrams and lines of descent in the system NKCMAS-H2O-CO2 and geochemical implications", funded by Ministero dell'Istruzione dell'Università e della Ricerca (MIUR)

2012-2014 - PRA 2012 "Relations between minerals and potentially toxic elements in sulfide ores of Eastern Liguria", funded by University of Genova

2013 - VISIONAIR - Lines of descent. Project N. 72, funded by the European Commission under Grant Agreement No. 262044

2013 - AMIU Genova Contract N. 668/2013 "Assessment of geochemical data of aqueous solutions in the waste disposal site of Scarpino (Genova)", funded by AMIU Genova

2013 - 2015 - MINERABILIA - "Renewal and exposition of mineralogical and geological collections of the Natural History Museum Giacomo Doria of Genova", funded by Ministero dell'Istruzione dell'Università e della Ricerca (MIUR)

2014 - 2016 - IDEAL-E - "Dynamic geochemical interactions among aquifers of Liguria - Entella", funded by IREN and Mediterranea delle Acque

2018 - ongoing - Interreg Italy-France Maritime 2014-2020 "MATRAC: Monitoraggio Adattivo in Tempo Reale con Automatizzazione del Campionamento – Aree Costiere Portuali", funded to CNR, IFREMER and University of Genova by the European Community

TEACHING AND TUTORING

2013-2015 – Course: Idrogeochemistry, University of Genova, Italy.

2015 - 2019 – Course: Geochemistry, University of Genova, Italy.

2016 - 2019 – Course: Volcanology, University of Genova, Italy.

2012-2013 – Tutor of Physics and Mathematics, University of Genova, Italy.

2013 - present – Advisor and Co-advisor of 12 B.Sc. and 8 M.Sc. Thesis (undergraduate and graduate level).

ORGANIZATION OF CONFERENCES AND SYMPOSIA

2014: Convener of the symposium “Looking inside the planet Earth: Experimental and Computational Methods in Mineralogy and Geochemistry” SGI-SIMP Congress 2014, Milan (Italy), 10-12 September 2014.

2015: Convener of the symposium “Experimental and Computational Methods in Mineralogy and Geochemistry”, SIMP-SGI-SOGEI-AIV Congress 2015, Florence (Italy) 2-4 September 2015.

2015: Convenor of the "Poster Session" at the 10th Silicate Melt Workshop, La Petite Pierre (Alsace, France), 13-17 October 2015.

2017: Convener of the symposium “Computational Geochemistry and Mineral Sciences: new developments and future perspectives” SIMP-SGI-AIV-SOGEI Congress 2017, Pisa (Italy), 3-6 September 2017.

2019: Convenor of the symposium “Integrated mineralogy, petrology and computational modelling to decipher geochemical interactions and tectonic histories recoreded by metamorphic rocks from the deep Earth”, SIMP-SGI-SoGeI Congress Parma 2019 “Il tempo del pianeta Terra e il tempo dell’uomo: le geoscienze tra passato e futuro”, Parma, 16-19 September 2019.

2019: Organizing Committee of the Workshop “Earth Sciences PhD days – Second Edition”, SIMP-SGI-SoGeI Congress 2019 “Il tempo del pianeta Terra e il tempo dell’uomo: le geoscienze tra passato e futuro”, Parma, 16 September 2019.

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY

Member of PhD Committees:

2017 - Dottorato di Ricerca in Scienze della Terra Ciclo XXIX, University of Parma (Italy), Candidates: Claudia Stangarone (Tutors: M.Tribaudino, M. Prencipe), Claudia Gori (Tutor: M. Tribaudino)

2018 - Dottorato di Ricerca in Scienze della Terra e dell’Ambiente Ciclo XXXII, University of Pavia, Candidate: Mara Murri (Tutors: M.C. Domeneghetti, M. Prencipe, B. Mihailova, R.J. Angel)

Reviewer for ISI Journals: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Chemical Geology, Lithos, American Mineralogist, Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, Mineralogical Magazine, European Journal of Mineralogy, Physics and Chemistry of Minerals, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids, Physics letters A, Journal of Applied Physics, Nuclear Engineering and Design, Computational Materials Science.

Editorial Board of Rivista Mineralogica Italiana, edited by Gruppo Mineralogico Lombardo (GML) and Associazione Italiana di Mineralogia (AIM).

Editorial Board of PLINIUS, Supplement of the European Journal of Mineralogy, edited by Società Italiana di Mineralogia e Petrologia (SIMP).

Memberships: Società Italiana di Mineralogia e Petrografia (SIMP), Società Geochimica Italiana (SoGeI), Mineralogical Society of America (MSA).

2013 - present Head of the Laboratory of Geochemistry at DISTAV, University of Genova