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University of Minho – Department of Earth Sciences

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Carlos Alberto Simões Alves

Summary

Carlos Alberto Simões Alves has been an Assistant Professor at the Department of Earth Sciences since 1999 and is a researcher at Lab2PT – Landscapes, Heritage and Territory Laboratory of the University of Minho. He graduated in Geological Engineering from the University of Aveiro (1990) and received his PhD in Sciences (Geology) from the University of Minho (1997).

His research focuses on natural stone in the built heritage: the weathering and decay of ornamental and building stones, salt crystallisation, biodeterioration, the provenance of stone materials and the natural radioactivity of granitic rocks. He has taken part in FCT-funded projects on the effect of pollution on the decay of igneous stone monuments, on the pore structure of Portuguese ornamental limestones and on the conservation and enhancement of monuments.

From 2010 to 2012 he directed CIG-R, the Centre of Geological Research, Management and Valorisation of Resources, an FCT-funded research unit. He has served as an editor for the journals Geosciences and Heritage and has organised special issues on the geoscience of the built environment.

Compiled from: ORCID

Research interests

  • Natural stone in the built heritage
  • Rock weathering
  • Salt mineralogy
  • Stone conservation
  • Biodeterioration
  • Natural radioactivity

Education

  • 1997
    PhD in Sciences (Geology)
    University of Minho
  • 1990
    Degree in Geological Engineering
    University of Aveiro

Current position

  • 1999 –
    Assistant Professor
    Department of Earth Sciences, University of Minho
  • Researcher
    Lab2PT – Landscapes, Heritage and Territory Laboratory, University of Minho

Recent publications

  1. Biomineral deposits and coatings on stone monuments as biodeterioration fingerprints. The Science of The Total Environment, 2024. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168846
  2. Study of the Geochemical Decay and Environmental Causes of Granite Stone Surfaces in the Built Heritage of Barbanza Peninsula (Galicia, NW Spain). Coatings, 2024. doi:10.3390/coatings14020169
  3. Estimating the Radioactive Heat Production of a Granitic Rock in the University of A Coruña (Galicia, Northwest Spain) by Gamma-ray Spectrometry. Applied Sciences, 2022. doi:10.3390/app122311965
  4. Salt Weathering of Natural Stone: A Review of Comparative Laboratory Studies. Heritage, 2021. doi:10.3390/heritage4030086
  5. Provenance Studies of Natural Stones Used in Historical Buildings of the Peninsula de Barbanza, Galicia, Spain (North-Western Iberia). Minerals, 2024. doi:10.3390/min14060595
  6. Comparative Study of Deterioration in Built Heritage in a Coastal Area: Barbanza Peninsula (Galicia, NW Spain). Geosciences, 2023. doi:10.3390/geosciences13120375

Publications since 2021 (ORCID and OpenAlex), ordered by the impact of the journal or series (two-year mean citedness in OpenAlex).

Full list of publications on ORCID

Information compiled from public sources: ORCID, OpenAlex, accessed on 20-10-2026. To correct or complete this profile, use the website’s content manager or contact the Department’s Director.