The Istituto di Ricerca per la Protezione Idrogeologica (IRPI), of the Italian Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), designs and executes research, technical and development activities in the vast and variegated field of natural hazards, vulnerability assessment and georisk mitigation. We study all geo-hydrological hazards, including floods, landslides, erosion processes, subsidence, droughts, and hazards in coastal and mountain areas. We investigate the availability and quality of water, the exploitation of geo-resources, and the disposal of wastes. We research the expected impact of climatic and environmental changes on geo-hazards and georesources, and we contribute to the design of sustainable adaptation strategies. Our outreach activities contribute to educate and inform on geo-hazards and their consequences in Italy. <...>

While ancient man must have had some intuitive knowledge of geology, as evidenced by the feats of mining and civil engineering performed in the distant past, the present science of geology owes much of its origin to the civil engineers working in the eighteenth century. These engineers, while constructing the major engineering works associated with the industrial revolution, had the opportunity to view and explore excavations in rocks and soils. Some, intrigued by what they saw, began to speculate on the origin and nature of rocks, and the relationships between similar rocks found in different places. Their ideas and theories, based on the practical application of their subject, formed the groundwork for the development of geology as a science. Engineers such as Lewis Evans (1700–1756) in America, William Smith (1769–1839) in England, Pierre Cordier (1777–1862) in France and many others were the ‘fathers’ of Geology. <...>

With the title Engineering Rock Mechanics, what is this book about? It is about the discipline, based on mechanics, which is used to design structures built on or in rock masses. These structures, which encompass building foundations, dams, rock slopes, tunnel, caverns, hydroelectric schemes, mines, etc., depend critically on the rock mass properties and the interaction between the rock mass and the engineered structure. As a result, the distinct discipline of engineering rock mechanics has developed. The term ’rock mechanics’ refers to the basic science of mechanics applied to rocks; whilst the term ’rock engineering’ refers to any engineering activity involving rocks. Thus, the term ’engineering rock mechanics’ refers to the use of rock mechanics in rock engineering-within the context of civil, mining and petroleum enpeering. Because rock mechanics can also be used to study structural geology, we emphasize through the title that it is the rock mechanics principles in the engineering context that we are presenting <...>

Mineral Potential Analysis (MPA) integrates the mineral systems approach with expert geoscientific knowledge and data science to produce predictive maps that guide exploration efforts to areas with the highest discovery potential.
MPA can be applied to a diverse range of commodities, across all exploration scales. Our team boasts extensive expertise in practical mining exploration, data interpretation, and data science.