Raymond Jeanloz

Geophysicist Class of 1988
location icon Location
Berkeley, California
age iconAge
36 at time of award
area of focus iconArea of Focus

About Raymond's Work

Raymond Jeanloz is a solid-earth geoscientist whose contributions have linked mineral physics, chemistry, and materials science.

Jeanloz’ high-temperature, high-pressure experiments have resulted in a better understanding of the interiors of the Earth and other planets.  He and his students found that the Earth’s core is as hot as the surface of the Sun, and demonstrated that magnesium-silicate perovskite (a material formed only at high pressures) is the main constituent making up our planet.  They have worked to create new materials that cannot be synthesized at ordinary pressures, such as ultra-hard, diamond-like substances, and very dense amorphous materials with unusual mechanical and electronic properties.

Biography

Jeanloz is a professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Science and the Department of Astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley.  He also serves as an advisor to the U.S. government and the University of California in the areas of Earth science, resources and the environment, national and international security, and arms control. 

Jeanloz received a B.A. (1975) from Amherst College and a Ph.D. (1979) from the California Institute of Technology.

Last updated January 1, 2005.

Published on August 1, 1988

Select News Coverage of Raymond Jeanloz