Professor Peter Schlosser Elected to the German National Academy of Sciences

May 25 2016 | Schlosser was recognized for his for his contributions to understanding water movement using trace substances such as radiocarbon.

Peter Schlosser has recently been elected into the German National Academy of Sciences, the Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina, for his enormous contributions to understanding water movement in natural systems, particularly oceans and groundwater, using trace substances such as radiocarbon.

Professor Peter Schlosser
Professor Peter Schlosser
—Photo by Timothy Lee Photographers

The Maurice Ewing and J. Lamar Worzel Professor of Geophysics and professor of earth and environmental sciences, Schlosser is chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering, director of research at the Earth Institute, and a senior research scientist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. Much of his work uses trace substances like noble gases and radioactive isotopes as regional or global “dyes” or “tracers” to investigate the movement of water from the surface to deep basins and study oceanic circulation patterns. His research has helped determine the age of specific water masses, better understand oceans’ role in climate variability, and reconstruct paleoclimate records.

A native of Germany, Schlosser came to Columbia in 1989. He is a fellow of the American Geophysical Union, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Explorers Club.

Founded in 1652, and one of the oldest academies of science in the world, the independent Leopoldina represents the German scientific community and conducts research, supports scientists, promotes scientific debate, and recognizes researchers’ outstanding achievements. With some 1500 members, the academy brings together top scientists from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and around the world.

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