Volcano and earth crust researcher receives Petersen Professorship of Excellence
Professor Dr. Oliver Nebel presents results on isotopic investigations of geological events in his keynote lecture
"Professor Nebel's research has contributed important new insights, especially to the understanding of geological processes under the seafloor," says GEOMAR Director Professor Katja Matthes. "I congratulate the laureate on this prestigious award and look forward to further collaboration. A big thank you also goes to the Prof. Dr. Werner Petersen Foundation, for its continuous support of outstanding scientific achievements."
The Prof. Dr. Werner Petersen Foundation from Schleswig-Holstein supports outstanding achievements in science, research, technology and culture. Among other things, professorships of excellence are awarded to international scientists. Particular attention is paid to a strong commitment to the promotion of young scientists. The award, endowed with 20,000 euros, is linked to a research stay at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel.
This year's Excellence Professorship is awarded to Professor Dr. Oliver Nebel from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. The geologist already completed his doctorate in Münster on high-precision measurements of radiogenic and stable isotopes in high-temperature rocks. Since 2015, Oliver Nebel has been a professor at Monash University in Melbourne. There he founded the Monash Isotopia Laboratory, which he now directs.
As an isotope geochronologist, he dates rocks and events using radioactive elements. This method can be used to study present and past geologic processes. Nebel has produced fundamental work on the isotopic evolution of volcanic sources and conducts research on the composition of the Earth's mantle and the interaction of the Earth's crust with the mantle, particularly in the oceanic realm.
His evening lecture at the ceremonial appreciation is about what insights isotopic building blocks provide about oceanic islands of volcanic origin. For example, the isotopic fingerprint of chemical components in the Earth's mantle can provide a better understanding of how the Earth's interior affects the planet's outer shell.
The laudation for the award of the Excellence Professorship will be given by Professor Dr. Colin Devey, head of the Ocean Floor Dynamics group at GEOMAR.
