Houtermans Award for early-career researcher

A researcher from the Earth Surface Science Institute has been recognised for her 'exceptional contribution to geochemistry'.

Caroline Peacock received the European Association of Geochemistry 2015 Houtermans Award which is bestowed annually to a scientist no more than 35 years of age or within 6 years of their PhD, who has published a single paper or a series of papers on a single topic.

Caroline has been recognised for a series of papers that investigate the biogeochemical reactivity and cycling of trace-metals in terrestrial and marine environments. In particular her work has been among the first to characterise and quantify the molecular-level processes occurring at mineral-water interfaces that control the partitioning of trace-metals between soils and freshwaters, and marine sediments and seawater.

These processes ultimately control the abundance and distribution of both bio-essential metals and toxic contaminant metals in modern and ancient environments, and are therefore crucial to understanding metal cycling on both a local and global scale.  Caroline uses a combination of laboratory experiments, advanced synchrotron-based spectroscopic techniques and geochemical modelling to probe the mineral-water interface, and shed new light on the complex behaviour of trace-metals in our environment.

Caroline said: “I'm absolutely delighted to win the 2015 Houtermans Award. It's fantastic to have my research recognised in this way and I'm looking forward to building on this success."

The award will be presented at the 2015 Goldschmidt Conference in Prague in August.

Posted in: