| Hans Thybo | |
| Birth Date: | 19 February 1954 |
| Birth Place: | Aarhus, Denmark |
| Fields: | Geophysics, Geology |
| Workplaces: | Professor at University of Copenhagen until 2017, Professor at Istanbul Technical University, 1000 Talents Professor at China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Distinguished Professor at SinoProbe Laboratory of Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences |
| Education: | University of Aarhus (BS, MS, PhD) |
| Thesis1 Title: | and |
| Thesis2 Title: | )--> |
| Thesis1 Url: | and |
| Thesis2 Url: | )--> |
| Thesis1 Year: | and |
| Thesis2 Year: | )--> |
| Doctoral Advisors: | )--> |
| Spouses: | )--> |
| Partners: | )--> |
Hans Thybo (born 19 February 1954) is a Danish geophysicist and geologist. He is President of International Lithosphere Program since 2017[1] and currently employed by the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences (CAGS).
In 1978, Thybo earned a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Mathematics and Physics from Aarhus University, Denmark. In 1980, he completed his studies at the Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands. He earned two more degrees from Aarhus University: a Master of Science (MSc) in geophysics in 1982 and a PhD in geology in 1987.[2]
Hans Thybo was a professor of geophysics at the Geological Institute and the Institute for Geography and Geology at the University of Copenhagen for 33 years, as well as at the Centre for Earth Evolution and Dynamics.[3] at University of Oslo. He is a professor at the Eurasia Institute of Earth Sciences[4] at Istanbul Technical University, a 1000 Talents Professor at the School of Earth Sciences at China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, and a Distinguished Professor at SinoProbe Laboratory at Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing. He was elected head of department at the Geological Institute and member of the board of Geocenter Copenhagen.
He was a professor at Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management[5] until he was dismissed from his chair in 2016 for allegedly pressuring a postdoc to criticize department management and for using his personal email for work purposes.[6] Thybo disputed the causes of his firing, and the researcher in question stated that he did not feel pressured.[7] Thybo challenged the dismissal in court, and the case was settled, with Thybo receiving six months salary, though he had hoped for a reinstatement to his position.[8]
Hans Thybo has published more than 250 papers in international peer-reviewed journals and has been promoter of more than 40 PhD, 80 MSc and 50 BSc students. He has been leader of several geoscientific research programmes and he has been field expedition leader to e.g. the ice sheet in Greenland, east Africa and Siberia. He initiated several pan-European research programmes with east–west collaboration after the end of the cold war. His research includes the discovery of ca. 2 billion year old plate tectonic structures,[9] the fundamental Mid-Lithospheric Discontinuity[10] of the lithospheric mantle, the presence of molten rocks at the Core-Mantle Discontinuity at ca. 3000 km depth below Siberia,[11] a new model for the formation of the economically important sedimentary basins,[12] Presence of strong seismic anisotropy in cratonic crust with the implication that crust and mantle have been coupled for billions of years,[13] and the presence of a hitherto unknown type of crust in Tibet.[14]
Member of several foreign research councils, panels and committees in e.g. USA (NSF), Sweden (VR), International Continental Drilling Program (ICDP), Netherlands, Croatia, France, Canada and China.
Thybo is President of International Lithosphere Program (ILP)[17] og was earlier President for European Geosciences Union, where he also held posts as General Secretary and President for the Seismology Division. He has been chair for the Danish national committee for ICSU (International Council for Science). He is currently a member of Committee for Freedom and Responsibility in Science[18] of ISC (International Science Council). He is member of and was earlier Vicepresident of Royal Danish Academy of Science and Letters. He has received the 1000 Talents Award from China and he is fellow of Royal Astronomical Society, London and Geological Society of America. He is elected member of Academia Europaea, the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters and Danish Academy of Natural Sciences, and he has been Danish representative to International Council for Science (ICSU).
Babel Working Group, 1990. Evidence for early Proterozoic plate tectonics from seismic reflection profiles in the Baltic Shield. Nature, 348(6296): 34–38.
Thybo, H., 2006. The heterogeneous upper mantle low velocity zone. Tectonophysics, 416(1–4): 53–79.
Ross, A.R., Thybo, H. and Solidilov, L.N., 2004. Reflection seismic profiles of the core-mantle boundary. Journal of Geophysical Research-Solid Earth, 109(B8).
Sandrin, A. and Thybo, H., 2008. Seismic constraints on a large mafic intrusion with implications for the subsidence history of the Danish Basin. Journal of Geophysical Research-Solid Earth, 113(B9).