Research

Hauptarbeitsgebiete: Petrologie des oberen Erdmantels und seiner Derivate (magmatische Ganggesteine und Vulkanite, vor allem Kimberlite und Karbonatite sowie die darin vorkommende enorme Vielfalt von Einschlüssen, die sogenannten Xenolithe); Vulkanologie (Studien am ostafrikanischen Grabensystem, Entdeckung von Natron-Karbonatit-Lavaströmen); Diskussion einer Metasomatose des Erdmantels; Beschreibung von mineralchemischen Eigenschaften zur Ausdeutung von physikalisch-chemischen Prozessen im Erdmantel; Entstehung von Diamanten im tieferen Erdinnern

Career

• 2007 Appointed Senior Honorary Professorial Fellow, College of Science and Engineering, University of Edinburgh, UK
• since 1997 Emeritus Professor of Geology, University of Edinburgh, UK
• since 1993 Chartered Geologist
• 1989-1997 Professor of Geology, Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Edinburgh, UK
• 1978-1989 Sorby Professor of Geology, University of Sheffield, UK
• 1972 D.Sc. University of St Andrews, UK
• 1964-1978 Successively Lecturer, Reader (1972) and Personal Professor (1975), Department of Geology, University of St Andrews, UK
• 1962-1964 National Research Council of Canada, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Geology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
• 1960-1962 Geologist, Tanganyika Geological Survey
• 1960 Research student in the Research Institute of African Geology, University of Leeds, UK; Ph.D. for thesis
• 1957 B.Sc. (First Class Honours) in Geology
• 1953-1960 University of Leeds, UK

Projects

• 1974-2006 Collabarative research, University of Chicago, USA
• 1973 Visiting Senior Research Scientist,Department of Geochemistry, University of Cape Town, South Africa
• 1970-1975 Collaborative research, NASA, Houston, USA

Functions

• 1999-2001 Expert Evaluator, Natural Hazards Research Programme, European Commission
• 1997 Conference, Royal Society of Edinburgh,
• 1986-1998 Chairman, International Kimberlite Conference Advisory Committee
• 1985-1989 Corresponding Member, British National Committee for Geology ; Member of organising committee, James Hutton Bicentennial     
• 1985-1988 Member of British National Committee for the Lithosphere
• 1984 Co-Convenor of joint Geological Society/ Alfred Wegener Foundation symposium on "The Nature of the Lower Continental Crust"
• 1976-1984 Member of Editorial Board of Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (Earth Sciences) (Member 1990-92; Chairman 1993-1996)
• 1973, 1978 Co-Convenor of First (1973) and Second (1978) International Kimberlite Conferences
• 1974-1978 Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Scottish Universities Research and Reactor Centre
• 1968-1971 Member of Editorial Board of the Scottish Journal of Geology

Honours and Memberships

• 2012 Collins Medal, Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland
• 1999 Clough Medal, Geological Society of Edinburgh, UK
• 1999 Proceedings volume of the 7th International Kimberlite Conference named “The J.B. Dawson Volume”
• 1994 Elected to Fellowship of the German Academy of Scientists   Leopoldina (since 18 Feb 2008 German National Academy of Sciences)
• 1988 N.L.Bowen Award - American Geophysical Union
• 1974 Sykes Gold Medal, University of St Andrews, UK
• 1972 Elected to Fellowship, Royal Society of Edinburgh, UK