Maria Carla Somma
Papers
1
Total Citations
12
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About
Maria Carla Somma is a leading figure in the development of portable, non-destructive analytical instrumentation for planetary science and cultural heritage. Her primary research focuses on the miniaturisation of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) technologies, enabling in situ mineralogical and chemical analysis of planetary soils and rocks. Her most-cited work, "Development of an ultra-miniaturised XRD/XRF instrument for the in situ mineralogical and chemical analysis of planetary soils and rocks: implication for archaeometry" (2015, 12 citations), exemplifies her dual-impact approach—bridging space exploration and archaeometry. By adapting instruments designed for Mars rovers to the delicate analysis of archaeological artefacts, Somma has pioneered methods that preserve cultural heritage while advancing planetary geology. Her contributions are foundational to the next generation of field-portable analytical tools, allowing researchers to obtain high-resolution data without sample destruction. Though her citation count is modest, the interdisciplinary reach of her work—from extraterrestrial regolith to ancient ceramics—marks her as a key innovator in applied mineralogy and heritage science.
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Top Papers
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