The Academy is proud to announce the election of Professor Hans Thybo as a new Fellow, in recognition of his exceptional scientific achievements and lifelong dedication to advancing our understanding of Earth's deep structure through seismology and tectonophysics.
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Professor Thybo earned his B.Sc. in Mathematics and Physics (1979), M.Sc. in Geophysics (1982), and Ph.D. in Geology (1987) from Aarhus University, Denmark. His early career included research at the Technische Hogeschool Delft and a visiting professorship at Stanford University in 1994. He served as Associate and later Full Professor of Geophysics at the University of Copenhagen (1986–2017), where he also chaired the Geological Institute. Since 2017, he has been a Professor at the Eurasia Institute of Earth Sciences, Istanbul Technical University, and he continues to serve as Honorary Professor at the China University of Geosciences, Wuhan. Throughout his career, he has supervised numerous PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and students, fostering the development of future generations of geoscientists worldwide.
Research Interests and Key Findings
Professor Thybo’s research spans seismology, tectonics, and lithospheric geophysics, with a particular focus on the evolution and structure of Earth's lithosphere. He has developed advanced seismic methodologies to image fine-scale heterogeneity in the crust and mantle, interpret geophysical data across continental regions, and investigate the dynamic processes that shape our planet's interior. His key research findings include:
Detection of Proterozoic plate tectonic structures using seismic reflection data (1990, 1997).
Discovery of the Mid-Lithospheric Discontinuity (MLD) in 1997, reshaping understanding of mantle structure.
Imaging of the Core-Mantle Boundary using reflection seismology (2002).
Proposal of a new model for basin formation based on magmatic intrusion (2008).
Identification of magma-compensated crustal thinning in rift zones, altering conventional theories of continental extension (2009).
Evidence of strong crustal anisotropy in cratons (2019).
Reinterpretation of West Antarctica as a back-arc system (2020).
Discovery of a new type of crust beneath Tibet, lacking a mafic lower layer (2021).
These discoveries have had profound implications for geodynamics, plate tectonics, and the broader understanding of Earth's internal structure, making significant contributions to global geoscience knowledge.
Contribution to Science and Academia
Professor Thybo has authored over 240 peer-reviewed scientific articles, edited numerous journal volumes, and served as Editor-in-Chief of Tectonophysics and Earth and Planetary Science Letters, influencing the direction of leading research publications in geoscience.
He has led or co-led approximately 60 international scientific projects, including large-scale seismic expeditions in Europe, Africa, Greenland, and Siberia, promoting collaborative research on a global scale. His leadership has also extended to major scientific organizations, including serving as President of the European Geosciences Union (2014–2016) and President of the International Lithosphere Program (since 2017). He is a Member of multiple prestigious academies, including the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, Academia Europaea, Norwegian Academy of Sciences, and the Geological Society of America.
Reference and Other News
1. Fellow's Profile Page: https://www.coreacad.org/Member.aspx?ProId=143
2. Hans Thybo's Personal Webpage: https://web.itu.edu.tr/thybo/