Simon Klemperer in New Zealand

Simon Klemperer became a professor of geophysics after studying at Cambridge University and Cornell University. He has taken a special interest in introducing Stanford undergraduates to scientific research, helping found SESUR (Stanford Earth Summer Undergraduate Research), and has involved them in his fieldwork on three continents. He considers fieldwork the best part of a geological career.

Simon initially visited New Zealand 30 years ago, as part of a National Science Foundation expert group to lay the groundwork for an international collaborative seismic experiment across the Alpine Fault and Southern Alps of South Island, analogies to California and our San Andreas fault. The interaction of plate-tectonics and climate that are so spectacularly visible in the Southern Alps of New Zealand became important in interpreting Simon’s main research area, the Himalaya and Tibet. Ten years ago, Simon returned to New Zealand, to lead a group of Stanford graduate students to New Zealand.  The Stanford Alpine Project crisscrossed both islands in a spirited combination of exploration and education, including visiting geothermal springs in North Island. Now, sampling thermal springs across Himalaya and Tibet has become his newest research focus.

During the program, Simon’s lectures will explore the dynamic geological processes that shape New Zealand’s landscape and impact its society. He will also discuss the formation of the Southern Alps and Fjordland through plate tectonics and climate, examine the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake and its implications for seismic activity in other regions, and delve into the role of volcanoes and geothermal energy in New Zealand’s power generation. Throughout the series, Simon will emphasize the interconnectedness of geological forces and their influence on both the natural environment and human activities.

Positions

• Professor of Geophysics, Stanford University

• Professor (by courtesy), Earth & Planetary Sciences 

Publications (Editor)

• “Stanford Alpine Project: New Zealand 2016.” Stanford School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Science, pp. 222.

Accolades

• Fellow, American Geophysical Union (2018)

• Allan Cox Medal, Stanford University, Faculty Excellence in Fostering Undergraduate Research (2008)

• Fellow, Geological Society of America (1995)

• President’s Award, Geological Society of London (1988)

Academic History

• PhD, Geophysics, 1985, Cornell University

• MA, 1984, Cambridge University

• BA, Mineralogy and Petrology, 1980, Cambridge University