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Department of Earth Sciences

 

Biography

  • Research Associate, Department of Earth Science, University of Cambridge.
  • Post Doctoral Researcher, Seismologist. Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
  • PhD in Geology, Seismology. Trinity College Dublin, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
  • MSc of Exploration and Applied Geophysics. University of Pisa. Msc of Geophysics and Space Exploration, Eötvös Loránd University Budapest.
  • BSc of Physics. University of Pisa.

Research

My research focuses on understanding the mechanics and dynamics of the Earth system at a regional scale, with emphasis on the structure and evolution of the lithosphere and the underlying mantle beneath areas of unique geophysical interest. I aim to understand how the present mechanical, thermal and chemical structure of the Earth has been formed and modified by the past dynamics processes, and to image the Earth's interior at a new level of details with the final goal of contributing to solving the fundamental riddles of plate tectonics and lithospheric dynamics.
I use a combination of complementary surface wave analysis methods such as cross-correlation of teleseismic and ambient noise surface waves and waveform inversion, along with computational petrology. My aim is to obtain a high-resolution model of the thermal structure of the lithosphere-asthenosphere system.
Currently, I am working on advancing our understanding of the role of lithospheric thickness variations in shaping intraplate volcanism and uplift in the Britain and Ireland region.

Publications

Key publications: 
  • Optimal resolution tomography with error tracking and the structure of the crust and upper mantle beneath Ireland and Britain. Raffaele Bonadio, Sergei Lebedev, Thomas Meier, Pierre Arroucau, Andrew Schaeffer, Andrea Licciardi, Matthew R. Agius, Clare Horan, Louise Collins, Brian M. O’Reilly, Peter W. Readman and the Ireland Array Working Group. Geophys. J. Int., 226, 2158–2188, 2021 Apr 23. https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggab169
  • Broadband Surface Wave Tomography of Ireland, Britain, and Other Regions. Raffaele Bonadio. The Library of Trinity College, 2019 Nov 28, http://www.tara.tcd.ie/handle/2262/90896
  • Hot Upper Mantle Beneath the Tristan da Cunha Hotspot From Probabilistic Rayleigh-Wave Inversion and Petrological Modeling. Raffaele Bonadio, Wolfram H. Geissler, Sergei Lebedev, Javier Fullea, Matteo Ravenna, Nicolas L. Celli, Wilfried Jokat, Marion Jegen, Christoph Sens-Schönfelder, and Kiyoshi Baba. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems. 19(5), 1412-1428, 2018 May 8 https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GC007347.
  • Education and public engagement using an active research project: lessons and recipes from the SEA-SEIS North Atlantic Expedition’s programme for Irish school. Sergei Lebedev, Raffaele Bonadio, Clara Gómez-Garcı́a, Janneke I. de Laat, Laura Bérdi, Bruna Chagas de Melo, Daniel Farrell, David Stalling, Céline Tirel, Louise Collins, Sadhbh McCarthy, Brendan O’Donoghue, Arne Schwenk, Mick Smyth, Christopher J. Bean, and the SEA-SEIS Team. Geoscience Communication. 2, 143–155, 2019 Oct 11https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-2-143-2019
  • Evidence for high temperature in the upper mantle beneath Cape Verde archipelago from Rayleigh-wave phase-velocity measurements. Carvalho, J., R. Bonadio, G. Silveira, S., Lebedev, J. Mata, P. Arroucau, T. Meier, and N.L. Celli. Tectonophysics 770, 2019 Oct 29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2019.228225
  • Seafloor seismometers look for clues to North Atlantic volcanism. Sergei Lebedev, Raffaele Bonadio, Maria Tsekhmistrenko, Janneke I. de Laat, Christopher J. Bean. EOS. 102
    2021 Jun 8, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021EO159380
  • Determining Subsurface Temperature and Lithospheric Structure form Joint Geophysical-Petrological Inversion: A case study from Ireland. Emma Chambers, Raffaele Bonadio, Javier Fullea, Sergei Lebedev, Yihe Xu, Duygu Kiyan, Christopher J. Bean, Patrick A. Meere, Ben Mather, Brian M. O’Reilly. Tectonophysics, in revision

Other Professional Activities

Part of my research efforts are dedicated to tutoring, education, and outreach. As an advocate for seismological research, I am committed to engaging diverse audiences, with the goal of increasing awareness about the importance of seismology and how it relates to our daily lives. I hope to address these challenges and inspire more people to learn about and appreciate the significance of geophysical research.

A few examples of outreach material. The various projects involved creation of videos, images, website, and developing strategies to communicate research efficiently for
different audience levels and various environments.

 

Contact Details

Email address: 
Wolfson Building
Bullard Laboratories
Department of Earth Sciences
University of Cambridge