Dr Franco Pirajno
Geological Survey of Western Australia
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Contact Details: Email: franco.pirajno@doir.wa.gov.au
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Franco Pirajno commenced his academic studies in his native Italy where he obtained a Doctorate in Geological Sciences from the Vesuvius Volcano Observatory of Federico II University in Naples. Employed as a full time permanent geoscientist in the Geological Survey of Western Australia.
In the last 15 years Franco Pirajno has worked extensively in Western Australia Proterozoic terranes and was instrumental in the discovery of a new large igneous province in Australia. Current duties at the Geological Survey of Western Australia include in-depth studies of mineral systems of Western Australia and comparative analyses with similar systems elsewhere.
Franco is also involved in the study of hydrothermal processes and of meteorite impacts-induced hydrothermal systems. Prior to joining the GSWA in 1993, Franco Pirajno was appointed as full Professor to the Chair of Economic Geology and was Director of the MSc course in Economic Geology at Rhodes University, South Africa, following 19 years in mineral exploration with the Anglo-American Corporation of South Africa. In his career, he has gained considerable experience in tectonics, ore deposit geology and mineral exploration in Europe, southern Africa, South East Asia, New Zealand, the southwest Pacific, China, Greenland and Australia.
Visiting Professor at Peking University in 2003 and China University of Geosciences, Beijing in 2004 and awarded an Honorary Professorship from China University of Geosciences in 2004. Appointed Foreign Editor for the Earth Science Frontiers journal of Peking University and China University of Geosciences in 2004 and currently a member of the Editorial panel of the Australian Journal of Earth Sciences.
Franco is the author of two books, authored or co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed papers and 19 geological maps in Western Australia, Namibia and Greenland. A third book on hydrothermal systems and links with life is to be published by Springer, at the end of 2008. Recently Franco Pirajno has been involved as one of the Guest Editors in special issues of the Asian Journal of Earth Sciences and Ore Geology Reviews.