CDT Supervisor awarded 2024 Price Medal

CDT Supervisor Professor Christopher Davies has been awarded the Price Medal (G) by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS).

Please see RAS piece on Chris below:

 

Professor Christopher Davies is awarded the Price Medal for a series of investigations
modelling the fluid dynamics and material properties of the Earth’s core. This work has
helped understand the thermochemical evolution of the Earth and importantly, how the
Earth can sustain a geomagnetic field.

His skill at assimilating and enhancing information across the domains of
paleomagnetism, mineral physics and geodynamics has led to some significant
advances on the energetics and thermal evolution of the Earth’s core.
Through a series of papers, Professor Davies worked on the transport properties of the
Earth’s core. This work redefined the electrical and thermal conductivity of the Earth’s
outer core, leading to profound consequences for our understanding of the thermal
history of the Earth, how the liquid core convects and how the magnetic field is
maintained.

Thanks to this work, we know that the Earth’s solid inner core is younger than
previously thought and that a basal magma ocean likely played a key role on early
Earth and possibly other planets.

Professor Davies extended this work, investigating the consequences of the new
energetic constraints for the density structure of the core, particularly for density
stratification.

He continues his work today, developing new numerical models to investigate the
consequences of stratification for convection in the core.
For these reasons Professor Christopher Davies is awarded the Price Medal.

 

Please see the RAS website for full winners list: https://ras.ac.uk/news-and-press/news/royal-astronomical-society-unveils-2024-award-winners

 

Congratulations to Chris from everyone at LIFD!