EMU is pleased to announce the EMU Research Excellence Medal 2025 competition, presented annually to early career scientists who have made significant contributions to research and who actively strengthen European scientific connections.
Detailed information about the application requirements is available here.
The nomination deadline this year is 1 July 2025, 12:00 (CEST).
The EMU invites you to an on-line lecture of the 2024 EMU Research Excellence Medal recipient, Dr. Martha Giovanna Pamato from the Department of Geosciences, University of Padua, Italy.
The lecture will be held on April 11, 2025 at 2 p.m. GMT/3 p.m. CET on-line via Zoom.
Please register in advance at registration Zoom link and you’ll immediately receive a direct link to the meeting.
Title: “The role of imperfections in mantle minerals to understand the origin of Earth’s water“
Abstract:
Water is an essential ingredient for life and a ubiquitous component at the Earth’s surface. Although it seems obvious to have water on Earth, its origin is still an unresolved mystery in Earth and planetary sciences. Yet, answering this question is fundamental to assessing the evolutionary history and modern structure of Earth and constrain the conditions for Earth-like planets to form.
Comparing Earth’s original deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio (D/H) with those of Solar System objects can constrain the provenance of water. However, this is a difficult task as Earth is an active planet and its D/H value might have significantly changed since its formation. To explain the origin of Earth’s water, its primordial D/H ratio needs to be determined, and this can be achieved by finding a deep mantle reservoir that remained unaffected over geological time.
Studying diamonds and their imperfections (related to the presence of H) may be the key as they are inert and robust time capsules resisting breakdown for over billions of years and can help elucidate whether H2O was already present in the deepest regions of our planet since its formation or whether it was transported to the Earth’s interior at a later stage through subduction.
This presentation will provide an overview of past and current findings on the role of imperfections in mantle minerals, with a focus on H in diamonds as a key to unravel the origin of Earth’s water.
You can also join the event page on Facebook.
In 2025, the EMU offers up to THREE (3) TRAVEL GRANTS of 400 € each to promote the attendance of students in mineralogy at:
– EMPG 2025
(Orléans, France, 16-19 June 2025);
– Goldschmidt Conference 2025
(Prague, Czech Republic, 6-11 July 2025);
– International Clay Conference
(Dublin, Ireland, 13-18 July 2025).
Eligibility:
The student should be registered for a BSc, MSci or MSc, MGeol, or PhD degree in the subject area of mineralogy at large, in a university of a country represented in the EMU (see the list of EMU Member Societies).
How to apply:
Please send an application package to the president and vice-president of the EMU (isabelle.daniel@univ-lyon1.fr and h.downes@ucl.ac.uk).
The deadline for application is April 15th, 2025
Application package:
In a single ‘Firstname_Lastname.pdf’ file:
Evaluation and selection of the best applications will be based on the academic merit of applicants.
The 2024 EMU Research Excellence Medal is awarded jointly to Dr. Martha Pamato and
Dr. Jakub Plášil.
Both are outstanding scientists whose scinetific research has significantly advanced their respective fields: Dr. Martha Pamato is recognized for her studies on the crystallography of deep Earth minerals and their geophysical signatures, while
Dr. Jakub Plášil’s work on uranium-bearing minerals has deepened our understanding of their complex crystal chemistry and environmental mobility of uranium in the geosphere.
For their exceptional scientific contributions and the international impact of their research, the EMU Medal Committee proudly honors Dr. Martha Pamato and
Dr. Jakub Plášil with the 2024 Research Excellence Medal of the European Mineralogical Union.
The European Mineralogical Union Medallist Lecture for 2023 will be given by Dr José Alberto Padrón Navarta on Friday 15th November at 3.00 pm (central European time).
The lecture will be hosted by Prof. Diego Gatta, vice-President of the EMU.
This is an online-only event and can be joined, free of charge, by registering here: zoom link.
Title: “Redox Influences on Fluid Dynamics and Dehydration Processes in Subduction Zones“
The latest volume of EMU Notes in Mineralogy, Volume 21, titled “Chemical Geodynamics of the Earth’s Mantle: New Paradigms“, edited by Costanza Bonadiman (University of Ferrara, Italy) and Elisabetta Rampone (University of Genoa, Italy), is now available as Open Access on our website.
You can view and download individual chapters by following this link. Alternatively, you may order a paper copy online now.
EMU is committed to securing funding to continue offering future volumes of EMU Notes in Mineralogy in an open access format.
During the award ceremony at the European Mineralogical Conference (EMC 2024) in Dublin, Jakub Kierczak, 2022 medallist, and José Alberto Padrón-Navarta, 2023 medallist, received their EMU Medals for research excellence from Isabelle Daniel, the newly elected EMU president.
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We’re pleased to share some moments from the recent European Mineralogical Conference EMC 2024 in Dublin, where our talented young researchers, who were awarded the EMU Travel Grant, presented their interesting works.
Check out the gallery below:
Alice Taddei
University of Firenze, Italy
Yuri Galliano
University of Genoa, Italy
Ena Topalovic
University of Zagreb, Croatia
Zhengzheng Chen
GFZ, Germany
Congratulations to all for their outstanding contributions!
We look forward to seeing more from them in the future!
During the 37th EMU Council meeting, held publicly at the Burke Theater of Trinity College Dublin on August 20th, new members of the executive committee were elected.
Prof. Ewa Słaby has transitioned to the role of EMU Past-President, succeeding Prof. Michael Carpenter.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Ewa handed over the presidency to the newly elected EMU President,
Prof. Isabelle Daniel.
The EMU extends its gratitude to Prof. Ewa Słaby and Prof. Michael Carpenter for their exceptional guidance and leadership.
The EMU is pleased to invite all member societies to attend the 37th EMU Council Meeting of the European Mineralogical Union, which will take place during the European Mineralogical Conference (EMC 2024) in Dublin.
This important meeting is open to everyone.
Meeting Details:
Date: Tuesday, 20 August
Time: 13:00 (Irish Standard Time, GMT+2)
Location: room 1 – Burke Theatre
The detailed agenda is in the PDF.
Your participation is crucial for the continued success and governance of the EMU.
We look forward to seeing you there!
We are delighted to announce the recipient of the EMU Research Excellence Medal 2023 – Dr. José Alberto Padrón-Navarta (Andalusian Earth Science Institute IACT, Granada, Spain).
Dr. Padrón-Navarta has achieved remarkable success in the fields of mineralogy and petrology, offering groundbreaking insights into the cycle and fate of volatiles through Earth’s subduction zones.
Congratulations, Dr. Padrón-Navarta, on earning this prestigious award in recognition of your exceptional contributions to Earth sciences!
The European Mineralogical Union (EMU) invites you to an online lecture of the 2022 EMU Research Excellence Medal recipient, Dr. Jakub Kierczak from the University of Wrocław, Poland, titled
“Ultramafic geosystems as a source of metallic elements to the environment“.
The lecture was held on 5th December 2023
at 12:00 CET on-line via Zoom.
Royal Society Publishing has recently published a special double issue of Philosophical Transactions A: Exploring the length scales, timescales and chemistry of challenging materials (Part I & II) compiled and edited by C Richard A Catlow, Chris Howard, Andrea Sella, Ana Jorge Sobrido, and Martin Wilding.
The articles can be accessed directly at www.bit.ly/TransA2258 and www.bit.ly/TransA2259
A print version is also available at the special price of £40.00 per issue from sales@royalsociety.org
This special double issue of Philosophical Transactions A honours the scientific contributions of our dear friend and colleague
Prof. Paul F. McMillan (University College London), who sadly passed away in 2022.
Paul was a major contributor to solid-state science, materials chemistry and high-pressure physics. He also deeply influenced and contributed to the field of mineralogy under extreme conditions of temperature and pressure. He developed a unique framework for understanding the microscopic and vibrational properties underpinning the macroscopic characteristics of melts and minerals.
During the Goldschmidt Conference on geochemistry, held from 9th to 14th July 2023 in Lyon, two young researchers, Hannah Pollak (University of Edinburgh) and Ruth Esther Delina (GFZ Helmholtz Centre Potsdam), were granted the opportunity to explore the forefront of geochemical research and immerse themselves in the geochemical scientific community, thanks to the support of EMU Student Travel Grants.
Their wonderful experiences were beautifully captured in the photos shared below.
Hannah Pollak : Understanding interactions between amino acids and nontronite clays: What is the effect of ions?
Ruth Esther Delina : Distribution and speciation of chromium in active and legacy nickel laterite tailings
We wish Hannah and Ruth all the best in their future endeavours and eagerly await the next generation of advanced research results they will bring to the scientific community!
It is with great pleasure that we announce the recipient of the EMU Research Excellence Medal 2022 – Dr. Jakub Kierczak.
Dr. Kierczak is an accomplished researcher who has made substantial contributions to the scientific research on the mobility and distribution of metals in natural and anthropogenic soils. His main research topic has focused on reconstructing migration paths of metallic elements from ultramafic rocks and metallurgical slags, combining methods of geochemistry, geology, mineralogy, soil science, and biology in studying rocks, soils, and plants.
In addition to his impressive research activity, Dr. Kierczak has played an active role in integrating the mineralogical community in Poland as a member of the Society’s Board and, since December 2020, as the President of the Mineralogical Society of Poland.
Dr. Jakub Kierczak’s interdisciplinary approach, combined with his dedication to advancing scientific knowledge, makes him a deserving recipient of the 2022 Research Excellence Medal.
Congratulations, Dr. Kierczak, on this well-deserved recognition of your outstanding scientific achievements!