Mirko Francioni / Professore Associato

Ciao!!

My name is Mirko Francioni and I am an Associate Professor in engineering geology at University of Urbino, Carlo Bo (Italy). My research mainly involves the combined use of remote sensing and GIS techniques for the study of natural and engineering slopes. 
During my academic career I worked as Post-doct in Canada (Simon Fraser University), in the UK as a Lecturer (University of Exeter) and in Italy as a research fellow and senior researcher (University of Chieti and University of Urbino, respectively). In the course of these years I have been developing new methods to use remote sensing/GIS data into conventional and numerical slope analyses. I participated at several international projects in Canada, UK and Italy and I am currently the PI of one National project (PRIN2022) and one international project (Interreg IT-HC Project, 2024).
 During these years of career I collaborated with many Universities around the world and performed field work in Canada, UK, EU and Africa. I also worked as consultant for geological engineering and exploration companies in Canada and Italy (such as BGC engineering and Kinder Morgan in Canada and many other in Italy). 
Mirko is in the scientific committee of the Italian Association of Engineering geology and Environment and acts as Editor for the Landslides Journals and as Guest editor for several Special Issues in Remote Sensing Journals.

In 2018 I was appointed as Honorary Lecturer in Mining Engineering at University of Exeter.

During the same year (2018) I have been awarded of the AEG Publication Award for 2018 - the best paper from the last four issues of Environmental & Engineering Geoscience. Award released by AEG, American Association of Enviromental and Engineering Geologist (USA) during the 61st AEG Annual Meeting / 13th IAEG Congress, September 15-23, 2018, Hyatt Regency San Francisco, San Francisco, CA. Paper: Francioni M., Stead D., Clague, J., Westin, A. 2018. Identification and analysis of large paleo-landslides at Mount Burnaby, British Columbia. Environmental & Engineering Geoscience 24 (2), 221-235.

I have obtained the Italian National Habilitation for Full professorship in 2020: Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale (ASN). Bando D.D. 2175/2018. Idoneità ottenuta nel Settore Concorsuale 04/A3 (Geologia Applicata, Geografia Fisica E Geomorfologia) – Fascia I.

1.      Francioni, M., Calcaterra, D., Di Martire, D., Guerriero, L., Scarascia Mugnozza, G., Sciarra, N. 2024. Deep-Seated Landslide and Rockfalls Threatening the Village of Pietracamela in Central Italy: Deciphering Phenomena from Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar and Point Cloud Analysis. Remote Sensing. 2024; 16(17):3151. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16173151

2.      Fullin, N., Fraccaroli, M., Francioni, M., Fabbri, S., Ballaera, A., Ciavola, P., Ghirotti, M. 2024. Detection of Cliff Top Erosion Drivers through Machine Learning Algorithms between Portonovo and Trave Cliffs (Ancona, Italy). Remote Sensing. 2024; 16(14):2604. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16142604

3.      Guerriero, L., Annibali Corona, M., Di Martire, D., Francioni, M., Limongiello, M., Tufano, R., Calcaterra, D. 2024 . Rockfall susceptibility analysis of the “San Michele Arcangelo” historic trail (Central Italy) based on virtual outcrops and multiple propagation models. Bull Eng Geol Environ 83, 263 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-024-03764-0.

4.      Corti, M., Francioni, M., Abbate, A., Papini, M., Longoni, L. 2024. Analysis and modelling of the September 2022 flooding event in the Misa basin. Italian Journal of Engineering Geology and Environment, (Special Issue 1), pp. 69–76

5.      Zito, C., Mangifesta, M., Francioni, M. Guerriero, L., Di Martire, D., Calcaterra D.,Pasculli, A. Sciarra, N. 2024. Cascading landslides at Morino-Rendinara, L’Aquila, Central Italy: Numerical modelling of slope-scale prospective debris flow propagation. Italian Journal of Engineering Geology and Environment, (Special Issue 1), pp. 285–293.

6.      Francioni, M., Ferroni, F., Ottaviani, F., Ahmed, M., Menichetti, M. 2024. From survey to analysis and visualization methods, new approaches to define rockfall hazard. Italian Journal of Engineering Geology and Environment, (Special Issue 1), pp. 135–141

7.      Donati, D.; Stead, D.; Rabus, B.; Engelbrecht, J.; Clague, J.J.; Newman, S.D.; Francioni, M. 2024. Characterization of the Fels Landslide (Alaska) Using Combined Terrestrial, Aerial, and Satellite Remote Sensing Data. Remote Sens., 16, 117. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16010117

8.      Guerriero, L., Francioni, M., Calcaterra, D., Di Martire, D., Palumbo, S., Zito, C., Sciarra, N. 2024.  Reduced complexity debris flow/flood hazard assessment at the southwestern slope of Mt. Omo, L’Aquila municipality, central Italy. Landslides, 21(1), pp. 183–195. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-023-02143-2

9.      Morelli, S., Bonì, R., De Donatis, M., Marino, L., Pappafico, G.F., Francioni, M. 2023. A Low-Cost and Fast Operational Procedure to Identify Potential Slope Instabilities in Cultural Heritage Sites. Remote Sens. 2023, 15, 5574. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15235574

10.   Ahmed, M., Tanyas, H., Huser, R., Dahal, A., Titti G., Borgatti, L., Francioni, M., Lombardo L., 2023. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation. https://doi.org/10.31223/X5JT2D.

11.   Fullin, N., Duo, E., Fabbri, S., Francioni, M., Ghirotti, M., Ciavola, P. 2023. Quantitative Characterization of Coastal Cliff Retreat and Landslide Processes at Portonovo–Trave Cliffs (Conero, Ancona, Italy) Using Multi-Source Remote Sensing Data. Remote Sens. 2023, 15, 4120. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15174120

12.   Mammoliti, E., Pepi, A., Fronzi, D., Morelli, S., Volatili, T., Tazioli, A., Francioni, M. 2023. 3D Discrete Fracture Network Modelling from UAV Imagery Coupled with Tracer Tests to Assess Fracture Conductivity in an Unstable Rock Slope: Implications for Rockfall Phenomena. Remote Sens. 2023, 15, 1222. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15051222

13.   Festi, P., Bossi, G., Francioni, M., Marcato, G., Staboli, C., Borgatti, L. 2023. Structural health of a road tunnel intersecting a large and active rock-block slide. Italian Journal of Engineering Geology and Environment, 2023, (Special Issue 1), pp. 49–55

14.   Robiati, C., Mastrantoni, G., Francioni, M., Eyre, M., Coggan, J., Mazzanti, P. 2023. Contribution of High-Resolution Virtual Outcrop Models for the Definition of Rockfall Activity and Associated Hazard Modelling. Land 2023, 12, 191. https://doi.org/10.3390/land12010191