Geology research in Lund receives SEK 40 million

Within the space of a week, Lund University’s geology researchers have raked in SEK 40 million. Professor Birger Schmitz has received SEK 25 million for his ground breaking research on the meteorite flux to earth that has been taking place for billions of years. Professor Daniel Conley has received SEK 15 million for research on how carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have varied in the past. Both Birger Schmitz and Daniel Conley are based at the Department of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences at Lund University , Sweden. Birger Schmitz is a bedrock geologist and a world leader in the emerging field of research on the history of life from a broader astronomical perspective. He has received SEK 25 million from the European Research Council (ERC), which is a desirable and prestigious honour in the research community. With the help of an amateur geologist and three quarry workers, Birger Schmitz has previously uncovered over 90 fossilised meteorites in 470 million year old bedrock in Västergötland, Sweden - a unique find.