Perla Pina Varas serves as an Adjunct Research Fellow and Visiting Research Fellow in the School of Earth Sciences at the University of Western Australia, affiliated with the Centre for Exploration Targeting. She holds a degree in Geology from the University of Salamanca, obtained in 2005, followed by specialization in geophysics focusing on electromagnetic methods. In 2014, she earned her PhD from the University of Barcelona, with her thesis entitled “Magnetotelluric Method Applied to Reservoir Characterization: The El Hito anticline (Cuenca, Spain) and Tenerife Geothermal System.” Her doctoral research emphasized the application of the magnetotelluric method to characterize deep reservoirs in geothermal systems located in volcanic environments, integrating geological, geophysical, and geochemical data.

After completing her PhD, Varas relocated to Perth, spending over three years at the Centre for Exploration Targeting and the University of Western Australia, where she applied multidisciplinary geophysical approaches to the characterization of mineral systems, particularly in the Capricorn Orogen and along the northern boundary of the Yilgarn Craton. Currently, she is a lecturer in geophysics at the University of Barcelona, continuing her research on geothermal and mineral exploration employing deep geophysical methods. Her research specializations encompass magnetotellurics, electromagnetic methods, mineral systems, and geothermal exploration. Notable publications include: “Multiscale studies of electrical conductivity variations, Yerrida Basin, Capricorn Orogen, Western Australia: implications for geological mapping in sedimentary basins” (Banaszczyk et al., 2024, Exploration Geophysics); “Application of deep-penetrating geophysical methods to mineral exploration: Examples from Western Australia” (Dentith et al., 2018, Geophysics); “Improved Interpretation of Deep Seismic Reflection Data in Areas of Complex Geology Through Integration With Passive Seismic Data Sets” (Dentith et al., 2018, Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth); “Magnetotelluric data from the Southeastern Capricorn Orogen, Western Australia: an example of widespread out-of-quadrant phase responses associated with strong 3-D resistivity” (Piña-Varas and Dentith, 2018, Geophysical Journal International); and “3-D magnetotelluric exploration of Tenerife geothermal system (Canary Islands, Spain)” (Piña-Varas et al., 2014, Surveys in Geophysics). Her contributions have supported initiatives such as government-funded deep geophysical surveys to promote mineral exploration in Western Australia.

Professional Email: perla.pinavaras@uwa.edu.au