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New Director for the British Geological Survey

12 April 2006

Dr John Ludden has been appointed the next Director of the British Geological Survey. He succeeds Dr David Falvey, who retires in October 2006.

The British Geological Survey (BGS) is the world's longest established national geological survey and one of the UK's premier centres for earth science information and expertise. It is part of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).

BGS carries out a wide range of research in areas such as seismic monitoring, contamination of soils and water, and technical co-operation and aid in developing countries. It represents the UK by participating in many international research collaborations, notably the major climate change research expeditions to the Arctic in 2004 and to Tahiti's coral reef in 2005, as part of the ongoing Integrated Ocean Drilling Program.

Dr Ludden said, "Geosciences are increasingly coming under public scrutiny as people become more aware of natural hazards and global change. Over the next decades, new technologies will dramatically change the way we monitor and map the Earth. By building on their international, academic and industrial research partnerships BGS will continue to take a leading role in all of these areas. I am very much looking forward to taking on the challenges they will bring in the future."

Dr Ludden is currently based at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), where he is Director of the CNRS Planete-Terre Directorate covering 55 laboratories across France in the fields of Earth, ocean and atmospheric sciences. He is also a Director of Research at the CNRS.

Dr Ludden directs the Earth sciences division of the INSU-CNRS which includes all the national volcanic and geophysical observatories, analytical infrastructure for geochemistry, and pooled marine and continental geophysical instrumentation.

Dr Falvey said, "I have known John for many years through our mutual involvement in the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience to bring to the BGS. His current leadership of so many programmes in CNRS will, I'm sure, be of enormous benefit to the organisation. I am delighted that he has agreed to be my successor as Director of this important national institution."

Dr Ludden will join BGS this summer to allow an effective handover period before Dr Falvey retires.

Further information

NERC Press Office
Natural Environment Research Council
Polaris House, North Star Avenue
Swindon, SN2 1EU
Tel: 01793 411561
Mob: 07917 557215

Notes

1. Prior to taking up his post at CNRS in 1994, Dr Ludden was a Professor at the University of Montreal in Canada. His fields of research include crustal evolution, mafic magnetism through time and early Earth processes. He is currently President of the European Geosciences Union and the International Association of Geochemistry (IAGC).

His university training in the UK was in Environmental Sciences at the University of Lancaster and he earned a doctorate in Igneous Petrology from the University of Manchester before moving to the USA and Canada.

2. The Natural Environment Research Council is one of the UK's research councils. It uses a budget of about £350 million a year to fund and carry out impartial scientific research in the sciences of the environment. It is addressing some of the key questions facing mankind such as global warming, renewable energy and sustainable economic development.

Press release: 19/06

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