Associate Professor Axel Hofmann
Academic qualifications and professional experience
1997 Diplom (MSc) in Geology, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Germany
1998 – 2005 Research Associate and part-time lecturer, University of Zimbabwe, Harare
2002 Doctorate (Dr rer nat) in Geology, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Germany
2002 – 2004 Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
2005 – 07/2010 Lecturer, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
from 08/2010 Associate Professor, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
Fields of expertise
Field geology of supracrustal rocks in Archaean terrains; comparative studies of early and late Archaean greenstone belts; hydrothermal alteration and gold mineralization; Archaean surface processes and crustal evolution; habitat of early life.
Current research activities
- Sedimentology, basin evolution and gold/uranium mineralization of the 2.9 Ga Pongola Supergroup, South Africa
- The origin of silicification in early Earth environments
- Multiple S isotope and Fe isotope analysis of detrital pyrite and sulphidic black shales from the Archaean record of South Africa and Zimbabwe
- Peering into the Cradle of Life – scientific drilling in the Barberton greenstone belt
Research output
Published c. 50 peer-reviewed articles in high impact journals and book chapters and c. 100 conference abstracts with > 1000 Google Scholar citations since 1998