I am a tectonicist who are the people interested in how and when the tectonic plates moved and the consequences of those movements. For instance, mountains, volcanoes, earthquakes or the development of ore resources like gold, uranium or tungsten are related to the tectonic movements.

I wake up-fall out of bed-dragg a comb across my head-Find my way downstairs and drink a cup-And look up and notice I am late-Find my coat and grab my hat-Make the bus in seconds flat-Find my way upstairs and had a ROCK-Do my research and I go into a dream.

It is really fun!

First, I work at a fortification, the “Fort Hoofddijk” (http://www.geo.uu.nl/~forth/), that was built in the 19thcentury, and most of the instrumentation is situated quite deep inside a (fake) hill. I call the room “the dungeon,” so I guess it needs no more comments. Inside, there is a laboratory of paleomagnetism, which is the study of the Earth’s magnetism recorded in the magnetic minerals (such as magnetite) present in rocks. This record provides information on the past behavior of Earth’s magnetic field, geochronology, and the past location of tectonic plates. However, I am the weird guy in the lab. I certainly use paleomagnetism for my research, but I am not a paleomagnetist. I am just a user of the tool (as I am with geochemistry, geochronology, structural geology, etc.).

My main research projects are related to the formation of the last of the supercontinents (Pangea) and about curved mountain belts (so-called oroclines). I combine field-collected data with laboratory data to provide tectonic reconstructions of orogens and continents. I also try to understand the relationship of the geological processes observed in the surface with the deeper Earth. For that reason, I use modeling. I started with analog (clay, silicon, etc.), and now I am also trying numerical (computer-driven models).

My position is focused in research more than teaching, but actually I am supervising two M.Sc. students this year. So everyday, I have a short meeting with both to share results and give them feedback, and I monitor their progress. Additionally, I write reports and research papers, and I prepare proposals to get funding for my future research. Additionally, as I am not a permanent staff member of the university, I spend part of the time writing job applications.

Several times in the year, I go to the field to get new data. I either go alone or with colleagues or students. I am, at present, doing fieldwork in Ireland, Spain, France and Iran, but I would love to move soon to other places. This is definitely the most exciting time of my job.