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Prof. Dr. Albrecht W. Hofmann
Born on March 11, 1939 in Zeitz, studied geology and mineralogy at Duke University,
Durham, N.C., USA, the University of Freiburg i.Br., and Brown University, Providence, R.I.,
USA, gained a doctorate in geochemistry from Brown University (1968), scientific assistant at
the University of Heidelberg (1968-70), postdoctoral fellow and scientific staff member of the
Carnegie Institution of Washington (1970-80), Director and scientific staff member at the
Max Planck Institute of Chemistry (1980), Managing Director of the Institute, 1989-91, 1998-
2000, Honorary Professor of the University of Mainz (1987)
Max Planck Institute of Chemistry, Mainz
Managing Director of the Institute: 1989-91; 1998-2000.
Political functions in the field of science:
President of the European Union of Geosciences (EUG), 1997-9,
President of the European Association of Geochemistry (EAG), 1998-2000,
Coordinator of the German Research Community's focal program "Experimental studies on
the distribution of elements between minerals, melting and gas phases in systems relevant to
geosciences."
Scientific prizes/honors/membership of scientific organizations (selection):
1994 Fellow of the American Geophysical Union;
1994 Chevalier de l'Ordre des Palmes Academiques;
1996 Humboldt Prize from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Ministère de
l'Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche;
1996 V.M. Goldschmidt Medal from the Geochemical Society;
1999 Foreign Associate of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences;
2001 Harry H. Hess Medal from the American Geophysical Union.
Key terms in his research:
Isotope and trace element geochemistry
The development of and the differentiation between the Earth's crust and Earth's mantle
Geochronology
The source of oceanic volcanism
Selected publications
Hofmann, A.W., Chemical differentiation of the Earth, the relationship between mantle,
continental crust, and oceanic crust. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 90, 297-314 (1988).
Stein, M. and A.W. Hofmann, Mantle plumes and episodic crutal growth. Nature, 372, 63-68
(1994).
Christensen, U.R. and A.W. Hofmann, Segregation of subducted oceanic crust in the
convecting mantle. J. Geophys. Res., 99, 19, 867-19,884 (1994).
Hofmann, A.w., Mantle geochemistry – the message from oceanic volcanism. Nature 385,
219-229 (1997).
Sobolev, A.V., A.W. Hofmann, I.K. Nikogosian: Recycled oceanic crust observed in “ghost
plagioclase” within the source of Mauna Loa lavas. Nature, 404, 986-990 (2000).