Prof. (a.D.) Dr. Wolfgang Franke

Adjunct Research Scientist

Department of Structural Geology and Geodynamics, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

Wolfgang Franke is a visiting researcher at the Department of Structural Geology and Geodynamics. After Vordiplom exam at University of Bonn, he received his Diploma degree (1970) and PhD (1972) at University of Göttingen (structure, stratigraphy and facies in and around the Devonian Iberg Reef (Harz). After post-doc positions in DFG Special Research Project (48, Göttingen) and the Continental Deep Drilling Project (KTB), he received habilition for Geology and Palaeontology, with a thesis on nappe tectonics in the Saxothuringian Belt (1982). From 1985, he held the chair of geology at Gießen University, from 2005 to his retirement (2011) at Frankfurt University.

He took part in several other national and international research projects:  IGCP 233 Terranes in the circum-Atlantic Paleozoic Orogens, European Geotraverse EGT, coop. project of Gießen University and Polish Academy of Sciences (correlation Polish Sudetes-Germany, Federal Ministry of Research and Technology, BMFT), German Reflection Seismic Program DEKORP (chair of working groups for lines DEKORP 2N, Rhenish Massif and GRANUSEIS, Saxonian Granulite Massif) and DFG Priority Programme Orogenic Processes (co-chair).

He was chairman of Geologische Vereinigung, vice-president of Alfred-Wegener-Stiftung (GeoUnion), vice-président étranger of Société Géologique de France and served for eight years as elected reviewer for DFG grant applications (including four years as chairman of  the reviewers´ board). W.F. is a Fellow of the Geological Society of London, member of the European Academy of Sciences,  and member of the Deutsche Akademie der Wissenschaften (Leopoldina), where he has chaired the subsection for Geology, Mineralogy and Crystallography.

His publications cover the fields of sedimentology (carbonate and clastic sediments), nappe tectonics, interpretation of seismic lines, very low-grade metamorphism, exhumation of (U)HP rocks and (presently) heat-sources for the notorious Carboniferous-Permian HT processes in Europe in- and outside the Variscan orogen (HEATin´EUROPE). Past and present working areas comprise the Rhenish Massif and Harz, Sudetes, Bohemian Massif and various parts of S-France.