Prof. Dr. Michael W. I. Schmidt

Topics

• How does climate change affect the system soil-vegetation-atmosphere?
• Soil organic matter stabilization
• Landscape History

Tools

• Soil Biogeochemistry: experimental and analytical research and field work
• Biogeochemical processes on a molecular level
• ¹³C isotope labeling experiments
• Sources, alteration and fate of organic substances in natural and man-made systems
• Organic-geochemical analysis of bio-elements (e.g., C, N), and molecular markers (lignin, black carbon)

Education

Univ. Bochum: Dipl.-Geographer (1991), Dipl.-Geologist (1993), Dr. rer. nat. (1997), Univ. Cologne: Habilitation (2001).

Employment

Univ. of Zurich: Associate Professor in Physical Geography (since 2006), Assistant Prof. (2002-2006), Univ. Cologne Lecturer Dept. Geography (2000-2002), Postdoc Max-Planck-Institut für Biogeochemie, Jena (1998-2000), PhD work at Univ. Bochum (1994-1996) and Technical Univ. München (1996-1998), Environmental Consultant (1992-1993).

Awards

Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Dept. Soil and Water, University of Adelaide Australia (2002), Bennigsen-Foerder Research Award (2000), Stipends by Max-Planck-Gesellschaft (1998-1999), Massenberg Stiftung Univ. Bochum (1996), German Academic Exchange Service, DAAD (1995).

Professional Activities

Research visits: Pennsylvania State University, Fuel Science, USA (1995), CSIRO Adelaide, Australia (1996), University of Washington, Seattle School of Oceanography, USA (1997), University of Adelaide, Australia (2002).

Symposia Chair: Intern. Goldschmidt Conference 1999 in Harvard, USA, Eur. Geoscience Union 2005, 2007, 2008, Swiss Geoscience Meeting 2005, 2006, 2007, Chair of the International Steering Committee on the Standardization of Black Carbon Reference Materials (1999-2006).

Non-professional Activities
Rowing team Univ.ZH-Profs. 2005, 2006, 2007

Membership

Berufsverband Deutscher Geowissenschaftler, Bundesverband Boden, International Union of Soil Science, Deutsche Bodenkundliche Gesellschaft, American Chemical Society: Geochemistry Division, Soil Science Society of America, European Association of Organic Geochemists, American Geophysical Union: Biogeoscience Section, European Geoscience Union.

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