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Froukje M. van der Zwan

Assistant Professor, Earth Systems Science and Engineering

Associate Director, Red Sea Research Center
Physical Science and Engineering Division

“An interdisciplinary approach is key to study the Earth and understand geological processes and volcanic and hydrothermal systems in all their aspects."


Program Affiliations

Biography

Professor Froukje M. van der Zwan joined KAUST as an assistant professor of earth science and engineering in 2019. ​Her research specializes in magmatic and hydrothermal processes at young rifted margins (e.g. the Red Sea), mid-ocean ridges and intraplate volcanoes (e.g. the Saudi Harrats). She’s taken part in several extensive fieldwork campaigns and more than 15 seagoing expeditions worldwide. Since 2009 she has worked in the Red Sea, where she reevaluated its geological structure and discovered the first active hydrothermal vent fields.​

Research Interests

The research of Professor Van der Zwan aims to understand why volcanic and magmatic provinces occur where they are and the processes by which they form. In addition, she studies hydrothermal systems and their effect on magmatic processes and the formation of related mineral resources. Her research examines these processes on land as well as in the oceans in various geodynamic settings but with a focus on continental breakup — from its initial stages, to the transition from rifting to spreading of a young ocean basin, to later stage intraplate volcanism at the continental margin. Her research methods are igneous petrology and geochemistry and volcanology, with a focus on in-situ methods, combined with data from other (geoscience) disciplines, including field and/or sea expeditions. ​

Keyword tag icon petrology ​ volcanic systems​ hydrothermal systems​ igneous geochemistry​ volcanology​

Education Profile

  • Postdoctoral Researcher, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Germany, 2018
  • Postdoctoral Researcher, Christian-Albrechts-Universität Kiel, Germany, 2017
  • Ph.D. Marine Geology and geochemistry, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Germany, 2014
  • M.Sc. Geosciences of Basins and Lithosphere, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 2008
  • B.Sc. Earth Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 2005

Awards and Recognitions

Associate Director appointment, Red SeaResearch Center at KAUST (2021-2024)​

Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP)​

Foreign Student Award, 2014​

Publications

Research Areas

  • Earth Science and Engineering

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