Faculteit Geowetenschappen (Universiteit Utrecht)

Mosasaurs are extinct marine lizards, spectacular examples of which were first discovered in 1766 near Maastricht in the Netherlands, fueling the rise of the field of vertebrate palaeontology. Palaeontologist Michael Polcyn (Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX) presented the most comprehensive study to date on the early evolution and ecology of these extinct marine reptiles. Although these textbook examples of macroevolution have been studied for centuries, they continue to surprise us. "We do have the first documented example of cannibalism in mosasaurs." On 16 December, Polcyn will receive his PhD from Utrecht University for his research into the evolution of the mosasaurs. https://lnkd.in/d69Vb23j Mike Polcyn Southern Methodist University Anne Schulp #palaeontology #paleoecology #mosasaurs #evolution Illustration: reconstruction of Sarabosaurus dahli. Copyright: Andrey Atuchin

The winners of the Geo Teacher Awards 2025: Earth Scientists Alissa Kotowski and Lennart de Groot! Of the seven lecturers nominated by Geosciences' study associations, Lennart won the Geo Outstanding Teacher Award 2025 and Alissa won the Geo Teacher Talent Award 2025. A huge congratulations to both! Read more about their work: https://lnkd.in/dtZ3KYTG Universiteit Utrecht Utrechtse Aardwetenschappen Vereniging (U.A.V.)

Episode 4 in the GeoLab anniversary tour: meet our Water Lab where we determine the concentration of dissolved substances in environmental water samples in which organisms live. Learn more from Nadia Breugelmans and Cale Miller.   https://lnkd.in/e_s3KV_B #discreteanalyzer #nitrogen #phosphorus #nutrients #watersamples #freshwater #soilwater #groundwater #oceanwater #porewater #DOC #ionchromatography #biogeochemical #ecosystems #carboncycle #climate #acidification #alkalinity #photosynthesis #contamination

“Our counterparts in the Global South need to know what it means to collaborate with Universiteit Utrecht and the diverse Geo faculty” Prof. Ajay Bailey 🟥's work includes inclusive transport, ageing, and public health in India. How do you build meaningful professional relationships within existing geopolitical connections? We spoke to him about his research, co-ownership of projects and how the university and the faculty can improve when it comes to collaborating with the Global South. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eHmEMm8a Utrecht University Centre for Global Challenges (UGlobe)

National Geographic Society, Universiteit Utrecht and Esri Launch ‘World Water Map: Insights’ — a New Tool Projecting Global Water Scenarios Through 2100 Today, the National Geographic Society, through its World Freshwater Initiative, launched World Water Map: Insights in collaboration with Utrecht University and Esri. World Water Map: Insights is an enhanced version of the World Water Map, providing expanded datasets and improved visualization tools for policymakers, water sector professionals and data storytellers who want a deeper analysis of what’s driving water scarcity and where and why it’s occurring. The expanded capabilities of World Water Map: Insights will enable users to project water availability scenarios through 2100, generate country, watershed and water province-level statistics, and guide conservation and policy decisions based on the data. https://lnkd.in/eZByxNhV Marc Bierkens Niko Wanders

PFAS: these toxic chemicals are everywhere. How can we get rid of them? With thousands of these "forever chemicals" in use for decades, concerns over the health risks of long-term exposure are growing. But eliminating chemicals that were designed to never go away has proven difficult. A team of scientists at Utrecht University is aiming to change that by exploring ways to break the cycle of PFAS contamination. Check out this in-depth story: https://lnkd.in/e2zrDUNE Faculteit Bètawetenschappen (Utrecht University) Johan Van Leeuwen PhD @Alraune Zech Stefanie Lutz 🟥 Frank Kooiman Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University #pfas #contamination #foreverchemicals Photo: Esther Meijer

⚡ Useful new insights for the #energy #transition - Scientists unravel extraction method for #Lithium. An international research team, with researchers from Utrecht University, University College London United Nations Association and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, unraveled an unusual #extraction mechanism for lithium using iron oxides. Particularly in the context of the energy transition, the demand for lithium, used for lithium-ion batteries 🔋 , is high and continues to grow. The results of this study illuminate mechanisms that may be useful for future industrial lithium extraction. Lithium holds great economic, societal, and scientific significance. Xu Zhang, geoscientist at Utrecht University and first author of the scientific paper, explains: “The widespread use of lithium-ion batteries results in a high demand for lithium resources. These batteries can be found in daily life objects like smart phones 📱 , electric vehicles 🚘 or home batteries 🏠 . Scientifically, lithium is also a fascinating element for geochemical studies. The lithium isotope system has proven to be a robust proxy for studying water-rock interactions, soil formations, and chemical weathering. It can be used to investigate climate change, seawater evolution, and the impact of human activities on the Earth 🌍 .” Want to know more about this unusual extraction mechanism? Read the article 🤔 https://lnkd.in/eWn_KYaT

A huge congratulations to three of our research teams for receiving funding to study Nature-based Solutions for biodiversity, human well-being and transformative change through the European programme Biodiversa+ 🌍👏 🌿 𝗔𝗾𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀: 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 (𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗡𝗯𝗦) “For the first time, we're using a mental model approach to explore how stakeholders perceive Nature-based Solutions. This innovative method will uncover novel insights into the differences and potential misunderstandings among stakeholders and help foster better collaboration that can bring these solutions to life” - Karlijn van den Broek 🌿 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 (𝗗𝗘𝗙𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗕𝗜𝗢) “We will examine how female biosphere defenders in Colombia and Ecuador harness traditional knowledge, non-conventional Nature-based Solutions, and "living law" to protect their territories, overcome legal barriers and align justice systems with socio-ecological transformative pathways” - Diana Vela Almeida & Tatiana Acevedo-Guerrero 🌿 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘆 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 “This project uniquely co-creates research with Ecochamps—young community members working with a local NGO in natural resource management and research. Through this collaboration, we combine citizen science with societal impact, creating training and job opportunities for youth in South Africa” - Marjanneke Vijge Established as partnerships between researchers and institutions around the world, on the UU side these exciting collaborations are based in the Faculty of Geosciences' Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University. Read more about the projects and what they are setting out to do: https://lnkd.in/dAHX2cPC

Episode 3 in the GeoLab anniversary tour. Curious why you would grow crystals or turn the light on and off on Mars?   Meet our Experimental Lab where we perform non-conventional sample treatments and experiments with earth materials, and learn more from Alexander Hoogenboom, Mariette Wolthers 🟥, Inge Loes ten Kate and Helen King.   https://lnkd.in/e-m2K-mt   #science #planetaryscience #astrobiology #research #lab #sciencelab #experiments #planetarysurfacesimulations #mars #hadeanearthisaplanettoo #organiccompounds #solarsimulator #geosciences #Earthsciences #environmentalsciences #technology #phdlife #innovation #spectroscopy #microscopy #scattering #glovebox #microfluidics #labonachip

A huge congratulations to Ylona van Dinther 🟥 and Simon Scheider for receiving an ERC Consolidator Grant! These grants support excellent scientists and scholars at the career stage where they may still be consolidating their own independent research teams to pursue their most promising scientific ideas. Read more about their research, and that of the five other Utrecht based researchers from Universiteit Utrecht, UMC Utrecht and Prinses Máxima Centrum voor Kinderoncologie who received the grant this year: https://lnkd.in/epDw8VBe European Research Council (ERC) Faculteit Bètawetenschappen (Utrecht University) #ERCCoG