 count ardito desio (18 april 1897 &ndash; 12 december 2001) was an italian explorer, mountain climber, geologist, and cartographer. ==early life== desio was born in palmanova, friuli, italy. he attended the middle schools of udine and cividale and the university of florence (1916â1920), graduating with a degree in natural sciences (geology). during the first world war also served in the military corps of the alpini and was captured by the austrians on mount pasubio. he made advanced studies in geology at the same university from 1921 to 1923, and was also assistant in that matter in that university, as well as in those of pavia (1923â1924) and milan (1924â1927). he was lecturer in physical geography, geology and paleontology (1928â1931), professor of geology at the university of milan, and applied geology at the engineering school of milan (a position he held from 1932 to 1972). concurrent to these positions, he served as a consultant geologist for the edison company for hydroelectric plants in italy, spain, switzerland, greece, turkey and brazil, and the same capacity for the public power corporation of greece. in 1973 he became professor emeritus at the university of milan. ==exploration of mountains in europe== desio began geological investigations into certain areas of the alps and apennines in 1920. the following year, he made some exploratory trips to the dodecanese islands. he published a volume on the geology of that archipelago in the italian geological survey. ==exploration of mountains in africa== in 1926, desio organized and led a geographical and geological expedition to the oasis of jaghbub, in the libyan desert. the scientific results of these investigations are published in four volumes by the royal geographical society of italy, the organization that sponsored the expedition. from 1930 to 1933 he led some geological and geographical expeditions through the hinterland of libya, including the crossing of the sahara desert with a large caravan of camels from the mediterranean seaboard as far as the frontier of sudan and back through fezzan, across the libyan sahara (summer 1931). the report of this expedition was also published in four volumes. in 1935 and 1936 he further explored the fezzan, from both the geological and hydrological point of view, and the tibesti massif in the central sahara. from 1936 to 1940, he organized and directed the libyan geological survey, which included research into mining and artesian waters by order of the government of libya. desio discovered in 1938 natural oil in the subsurface of libya. in the same years he discovered also an exploitable deposit of carnallite in the oasis of marada, and rich artesian aquifers in some zones of northern libya, which gave a strong impulse to
1897_births 2001_deaths Italian_cartographers Italian_centenarians Italian_explorers Italian_geologists Italian_mountain_climbers People_from_Palmanova