SABINA BIGI

Education and qualifications - Born in 1964, in 1988 she got a degree in Geological Sciences at the University of Rome with a thesis in Structural Geology. She achieved the PhD in 1993 with a thesis in Geodynamics and Structural geology at the University of Camerino, where she worked as a post-doc from 1993 to 1994. Since 1996 she works as Researcher at the Department of Earth Sciences of the University of Roma "La Sapienza", where she currently teaching the course “Brittle structural geology”. In 2013 she became responsible of the Fluid Chemical Lab of the Earth Science Department. In 2014 she obtained the national scientific qualification as associate in the sector 04-A2 Structural geology, Stratigraphy, Sedimentology and Paleontology. She was visiting researcher at the Earth Science Department of University of Salonicco, Greece (1993), and the Earth Science Department, UCSC, Santa Cruz, US (1999). She is fellow of the Geological Society of Italy, of the American Geophysical Union and of the Geological Society of America, and of the European association of geoscientists and engineers (EAGE). In the last two years, she was deeply involved in activities of research coordination on geological storage of CO2; she is member of the Executive Committee of CO2Geonet (The European Network of Excellence on the Geological Storage of CO2) and of EERA (European Energy Research Alliance) as representative of Sapienza University.
In 2012 she was Guest Editor of the Volume: Marine and Petroleum Geology, Volume 42, April 2013, Special Issue: The Geology of the Periadriatic Basin and of the Adriatic Sea.
Teaching experience - Her teaching experience consists of courses of Structural Geology, Geology, Field Geological (Mapping), Brittle Structural Geology, Tectonics and Geodynamics in the Earth Science Department, University Of Rome La Sapienza, from 1990 to the present. She is the supervisor of 5 PhD students. She is also Scientific Responsible and Administrative Coordinator for International Mobility for Earth and Science Department, Sapienza University.
Research topics – Her main research interest is focused on brittle deformation, and comprises the studies of faults and fractures network, with application in the field of hydrocarbons exploration and applied geology. Faults studies were dedicated to the reconstruction of fault architecture and evolution, with particular attention to gas bearing and active faults. Fractures network studies were focused on fractures characterization in carbonates and on development of new fracture models for fluid flow simulation. From 2006 she is member of the Chemical Fluid Lab, where she can study the control exerted by faults and fractures on fluid circulation, and the application on geological storage of CO2. In the last two (2013-2015) years she worked on the geological and geochemical characterization for a demo site in the Sulcis basin (Sardinia), founded by Energy Ministry and Sardinia Region.
She dedicated more than a decade to the study of the Apennines geological evolution and, more in general to thrust tectonics studies and the interplay between tectonics and sedimentation in contractional settings. In particular, she studied the influence of pre-existing structure on the geometries and kinematic of an evolving fold-and-thrust-belt, such as the Apennines, but she also worked on other thrust belt as the Zagros Mountains (Iran) and the Andes (Argentina). She has experiences in field map geology, having worked as field geologist for the Geological Survey of Italy, at the realization of several geological maps, scale 1:50.000. She also improved geological mapping activities testing and applying GIS application.
Techniques – field structural geology, field map geology, seismic interpretation, fracture modelling.
Studied areas – Dolomites (Eastern Alps), Apennines, Zagros (Iran), Eastern Cordillera (NW Argentina), Tyrrhenian Sea, Aeolian and Pontine Islands.
Research activities
2015 – Coordinator and scientific responsible of the research collaboration project “Infrastructures development within the ECCSEL Project in the Panarea Island” founded by OGS.
2015 – Coordinator and scientific responsible of the research collaboration project “Research and application of new technological solutions for the detection of the content of dissolved CO2 in seawater” founded by INGV-Palermo.
2015 – Coordinator for the project “Processi deformativi e circolazione di fluidi connessi con l'estensione in Appennino centrale” founded by Sapienza University
2014-2015 - Local coordinator and scientific responsible for the Italian Project Progetto Centro di Eccellenza sull’Energia Pulita, Linea 2 “Caratterizzazione del bacino del Sulcis per il confinamento della CO2”, founded by Italian Energy Ministry.
2014 – 2015 – Local leader for the project (Structural geological study on the southern part of the “M’Sari Akabli” perimeter (Adrar Province, Algeria) founded by Enel Stream Gas.
2013 – Coordinator and scientific responsible of “Soil gas survey for the road Trebisacce - Roseto Capo Spulico (Calabria)” for Anas S.p.A.
2013 - PF7 EU _Pan-European coordination action on CO2 Geological Storage" (CGS Europe) CallFP7-ENERGY-2010-1. Project number: 256725. Start date: 01/11/2010.
2013 - PF7 Partner leader for EU research project EU _ Sub-seabed CO2 Storage: Impact on Marine Ecosystems" (ECO2). CallFP7-ENERGY-2010-1. Project number: 265847. Start date: 01/03/2011.
2009-2011 – Local leader for the research project "Fluid flow simulation across faults and fracture: modelling and model development, calibration and validation” founded by Schlumberger.
2007 - 2009 – Local leader for the project S1- Seismogenic potential definition and seismic hazard. INGV-DPC
2009-2010 – Local leader for the project “Fracture modelling in Latemar massif (Dolomites, Italy)” founded by Eni.
Other EU and international research projects:
- FP6 EU_ CO2Geonet _Joint Research Activities Project (2004-2010) WPackage JRAP 2
- FP6 EU _ CO2Geonet _Joint Research Activities Project (2004 2010) WPackage JRAP 16
- FP7 EU _ Research into Impact and Safety in CO2 storage (RISCS) FP7-ENERGY-2009-1: Project number 240837. Start date: 01/01/2010.
- PF7 EU _ Research and Civil Society Dialogue towards a low-carbon society" (R&Dialogue).Call FP7-SCIENCE-IN-SOCIETY-2011-1. Project number: 288980. Start Date: 01/06/2012.
- Darius Project 2010 e 2011 “Control of Cambrian salt on the geometry and strain of fault-related anticlines in the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt".
- CNR - 2010 - National Research Council Of Italy Earth And Environment Department. "Acquisition of multichannel seismic reflection profiles in the central and southern Tyrrhenian Sea".
- CNR- Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ministero degli Esteri (2010-2011), Italia-Cina joint program. “CO2 geological storage: monitoring systems.”
- CUIA research project IV 2010-2012 - ” Geothermal systems in Jujuy and Salta provinces (NW Argentina).

She published 80 articles in “peer-reviewed” journals, 20 in JCR journals, H index Scopus = 9; Google Scholar = 14; G index = 5 (Scopus)

Most relevant publications (2005- 2014):

Bigi, S., S.E. Beaubien, G. Ciotoli, C. D'Ambrogi, C. Doglioni, V. Ferrante, S. Lombardi, S. Milli, L. Orlando, L. Ruggiero, M.C. Tartarello, P. Sacco Mantle-derived CO2 migration along active faults within an extensional basin margin (Fiumicino, Rome, Italy) Tectonophysics 11/2014.
Graziani S., Stan E Beaubien, Sabina Bigi, Salvatore Lombardi - Spatial and temporal pCO2 marine monitoring near Panarea Island (Italy) using multiple low-cost GasPro sensors. Environmental Science and Technology 09/2014.
Ciotoli Giancarlo, Sabina Bigi, Chiara Tartarello, Pietro Sacco, Salvatore Lombardi, Alessandra Ascione, Stefano Mazzoli Soil gas distribution in the main coseismic surface rupture zone of the 1980, Ms=6.9, Irpinia Earthquake (Southern Italy). (2014) Journal of Geophysical Research Solid Earth 03/2014; 119(3):2440-2461.
Bigi, S., Battaglia, M., Alemanni, A., Lombardi, S., Campana, A., Borisova, E., Loizzo, M. CO2 flow through a fractured rock volume: Insights from field data, 3D fractures representation and fluid flow modeling (2013) International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 18, pp. 183-199.
Carminati, E., Aldega, L., Bigi, S., Corrado, S., D'Ambrogi, C., Mohammadi, P., Shaban, A., Sherkati, S.Control of Cambrian evaporites on fracturing in fault-related anticlines in the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt (2013) International Journal of Earth Sciences, 102 (5), pp. 1237-1255.
Bigi, S., Conti, A., Casero, P., Ruggiero, L., Recanati, R., Lipparini, L. Geological model of the central Periadriatic basin (Apennines, Italy)(2013) Marine and Petroleum Geology, 42, pp. 107-121.
Casero, P., Bigi, S. Structural setting of the Adriatic basin and the main related petroleum exploration plays (2013) Marine and Petroleum Geology, 42, pp. 135-147.
Bigi, S., Casero, P., Chiarabba, C., Di Bucci, D. Contrasting surface active faults and deep seismogenic sources unveiled by the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake sequence (Italy) (2013) Terra Nova, 25 (1), pp. 21-29
Doglioni, C., Ligi, M., Scrocca, D., Bigi, S., Bortoluzzi, G., Carminati, E., Cuffaro, M., D'Oriano, F., Forleo, V., Muccini, F., Riguzzi, F. The tectonic puzzle of the Messina area (Southern Italy): Insights from new seismic reflection data (2012) Scientific Reports, 2, art. no. 970, .
Masini, M., Bigi, S., Poblet, J., Bulnes, M., Cuia, R.D., Casabianca, D. Kinematic evolution and strain simulation, based on cross-section restoration, of the Maiella Mountain: An analogue for oil fields in the Apennines (Italy) (2011) Geological Society Special Publication, 349, pp. 25-44.
Bigi, S., Casero, P., Ciotoli, G. Seismic interpretation of the Laga Basin; constraints on the structural setting and kinematics of the Central Apennines (2011) Journal of the Geological Society, 168 (1), pp. 179-189.
di Francesco, L., Fabbi, S., Santantonio, M., Bigi, S., Poblet, J. Contribution of different kinematic models and a complex Jurassic stratigraphy in the construction of a forward model for the Montagna dei Fiori fault-related fold (Central Apennines, Italy)(2010) Geological Journal, 45 (5-6), pp. 489-505.
Bigi, S., Di Paolo, L., Vadacca, L., Gambardella, G. Load and unload as interference factors on cyclical behavior and kinematics of Coulomb wedges: Insights from sandbox experiments (2010) Journal of Structural Geology, 32 (1), pp. 28-44.
Annunziatellis, A., Beaubien, S.E., Bigi, S., Ciotoli, G., Coltella, M., Lombardi, S. Gas migration along fault systems and through the vadose zone in the Latera caldera (central Italy): Implications for CO2 geological storage (2008) International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 2 (3), pp. 353-372.
Bigi, S. An example of inversion in a brittle shear zone (2006) Journal of Structural Geology, 28 (3), pp. 431-443.
Bigi, S., Pisani, P.C. From a deformed Peri-Tethyan carbonate platform to a fold-and-thrust-belt: An example from the Central Apennines (Italy) (2005) Journal of Structural Geology, 27 (3), 523-539.