New professor Plümper brings a breath of fresh air to the geosciences!

New professor Plümper brings a breath of fresh air to the geosciences!

Bremen, Deutschland - Oliver Plümper took over the professorship for mineralogy in the Geosciences department at the University of Bremen in the 2025 summer semester. His research focuses on the changes in minerals across earth history as well as the influence of fluids, especially water and carbon dioxide, on rocks in the earth. These topics are highly relevant because they concern processes such as volcanism, earthquakes, raw materials and long -term storage of CO₂.

plümper pursues the goal of deepening the earth's understanding through the knowledge of its smallest building blocks. An important aspect of his research is the combination of basic research with questions of sustainability. He would like to gain new scientific findings on responsible resource use and environmental protection. In order to achieve these goals, it uses the latest analysis methods, including 3D X-ray imaging, interferometry and electron microscopy.

research on CO₂ emissions of the volcanoes

In a current international research project, it was examined how deep carbon dioxide storage in the earth's coat causes the high CO₂ emissions of the Etna. A team of geologists from the Universities of Florence and Cologne and the National Research Council CNR found that Magma transports carbon dioxide from a depth of 50 to 150 km. This contributes significantly to the high daily emissions of 9,000 tons of CO₂ of the Etna, which corresponds to 10% of the global volcanic CO₂ emissions. It is particularly noteworthy that the Etna emits three times more CO₂ than the Kilauea in Hawaii, despite its four times higher magma emissions.

The researchers examined the maids of four volcanoes, including the Etna and Monte Vulture. Through the analysis of the ratio of NIOB (NB) and Tantal (TA), they were able to determine high NB/TA conditions, which indicate carbon-rich areas in the earth's mantle under the hyblean plateau in southern Italy. These reservoirs are actively “tapped” when the magmas melted up, which allows interesting conclusions about the geodynamic conditions and the backward movement of the diving plate in the Ionian Sea.

Influence of plate tectonics on the carbon cycle

Another relevant field of research is the long -lasting climatic effects of volcanic processes on geological time scales. Studies at Cambridge University have shown that the formation and separation of supercontents control the natural volcanic carbon emissions over hundreds of millions of years. This research could have far -reaching effects on the reinterpretation of the carbon cycle and the evolution of the habitability of the earth

Most carbon -containing gases that are released by volcanoes come from the surface -related areas and not, as previously assumed, from the interior of the earth. This shows that volcanoes can play a larger role in the carbon cycle than previously assumed, and that their chemical fingerprints vary, depending on their geological environment.

Oliver Plümper brings over 16 years of experience, including as a professor at the University of Utrecht and at the Center for Physics of Geological Processes at the University of Oslo. His working group works according to the principles of the Open Science to make results publicly accessible and to set impulses for innovative, sustainable and interdisciplinary geosciences.

For further details on his professorship and the new research focuses at the University of Bremen, please visit the message of the University of Bremen . Information on the CO₂ emissions of the Etna can be found in the study of the Plattentectonics and volcanic emissions are the article on Geohorizon