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Plunge (Credit: Ian Watkinson, distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

GD Geodynamics Division on Geodynamics

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European Geosciences Union

Division on Geodynamics
gd.egu.eu

Division on Geodynamics

President: Laetitia Le Pourhiet (Emailgd@egu.eu)
Deputy President: Jeroen van Hunen (Email)
ECS Representative: Garima Shukla (Emailecs-gd@egu.eu)

Studies related to the Geodynamics Division include all aspects of geodynamic processes in the lithosphere, mantle, and core. They encompass different approaches, including observations, imaging, theory, modelling (numerical simulations and laboratory experiments), and interpretation. Examples include the dynamics of subduction, mid-ocean-ridge processes, vertical and horizontal plate movements driving mountain building and basin formation, lithosphere dynamics, mantle convection, and core dynamics.

Latest posts from the GD blog

Destruction of the North China Craton and its global impact

Cratons are forever, until they are not. These long-lived portions of lithosphere are known for being remarkably stable. However, if the conditions are right, even cratons can be ripped apart by geological forces, with far-reaching impacts on Earth’s systems. This week, Jyotirmoy Paul from the University of Oslo, Norway will tell us the downfall of the North China Craton, using numerical simulations to explore how a craton’s destruction unfolds and what processes drive it. Cratons are strong, old, and usually …


GeoMOD 2025 – Lisbon edition

The GeoMOD meeting is a bi-annual conference that gathers Earth Science researchers from all over the world working on analogue and numerical modelling in Geosciences. Showcasing the most recent advances in this field, GeoMOD brings together the pursuit of new knowledge while allowing for great get-togethers between researchers. This year’s meeting was successfully held in Lisbon but not without its minor mishaps. In today’s blog post, we explore the challenges of organizing a global meeting that gathers the geo-modelling Earth …


Dislocation Creep and the Development of Deformation Fabrics

Assume you are under stress. What do you do? Take a walk in the park, order your favorite takeout, have a breakdown, or internally slip along preferred slip systems and develop a fabric? The response will mostly depend on what kind of material you are, how much stress you are under, and what environmental conditions you are subjected to. For instance, someone might listen to classical music after a stressful day at work and someone else might need heavy metal. …


Bored by the Lower Mantle? Think Again!

Is the lower mantle boring? For a long time, the lower mantle was thought to be relatively featureless and uniform compared to the more dynamic upper mantle. But recent seismic observations are challenging that idea, especially when we look near the base of the mantle. Recent studies from Maureen Long’s group (Creasy et al. 2017, Wolf et al. 2019, Reiss et al. 2019, Wolf & Long, 2023) and others (Cottar & Romanowicz 2013, Asplet et al., 2023) have shown that …

Recent awardees

Neil M. Ribe

Neil M. Ribe

  • 2025
  • Augustus Love Medal

The 2025 Augustus Love Medal is awarded to Neil M. Ribe for outstanding and fundamental contributions to a wide range of geodynamical problems using rigorous mathematical approaches.


Iris van Zelst

Iris van Zelst

  • 2025
  • Division Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award

The 2025 Division Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award is awarded to Iris van Zelst for a profound impact on the geodynamics community through outstanding scientific contributions, inspiring leadership, enthusiastic outreach, and fostering an inclusive and diverse work environment.


Berta Vilacís

Berta Vilacís

  • 2025
  • Outstanding Student and PhD candidate Presentation (OSPP) Award

The 2025 Outstanding Student and PhD candidate Presentation (OSPP) Award is awarded to Berta Vilacís Tracking dynamic topography through hiatus surfaces


Charlotte Gaugne Gouranton

Charlotte Gaugne Gouranton

  • 2025
  • Outstanding Student and PhD candidate Presentation (OSPP) Award

The 2025 Outstanding Student and PhD candidate Presentation (OSPP) Award is awarded to Charlotte Gaugne Gouranton GRACE observations of rapid mass variations at the core-mantle boundary during deep mantle phase transitions in interaction with core flow


Taras Gerya

Taras Gerya

  • 2024
  • Augustus Love Medal

The 2024 Augustus Love Medal is awarded to Taras Gerya for his novel approach in using computational geodynamics to address outstanding tectonic and geodynamic questions in a way that reaches out to petrologists, geochemists, and structural geologists.


Anne Glerum

Anne Glerum

  • 2024
  • Division Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award

The 2024 Division Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award is awarded to Anne Glerum for her contributions in geodynamics, including providing new insight in the East African rift system, methodological advancement of geodynamic modelling techniques, and outstanding community service.


Jorge Sanhueza

Jorge Sanhueza

  • 2024
  • Outstanding Student and PhD candidate Presentation (OSPP) Award

The 2024 Outstanding Student and PhD candidate Presentation (OSPP) Award is awarded to Jorge Sanhueza Slab window geodynamics: towards an integrated understanding of upper mantle dynamics and observations

Current issue of the EGU newsletter

In our October Issue we are feeling the spooky season as we talk with Elizabeth Case, a 'hauntologist' who studies the ghosts of glaciers, Asmae Ourkiya investigates a recent study of the shadows left behind on the climate from a massive eruption in Indonesia, we hear from Peter Alexander, who shares his experience of doing research in an autocratic regime in the Global South, we share all the upcoming webinars planned for November (there are a lot!), and don't miss our announcement of a new Emergency Support policy, to help researchers in the Earth, planetary and space sciences who have been affected by disaster, crisis or conflict.

All this and much more, in this month's Loupe!