Dr. D. Benavente is Head of the Applied Petrology Group and a member of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Alicante. He is Associate Professor in Petrology and Geochemistry and his teaching includes Geochemistry and Prospecting Geochemistry, Applied Petrology and Crystallography. His research involves low-temperature geochemistry processes, mainly in salt crystallisation, gas-water-rock and karst systems; transport of gases (CO2 and 222Rn) at the atmosphere-soil-karst interface; petrophysics and durability of building stones; and conservation of historical and cultural heritage built in stone.