Professor Wladyslaw Altermann

Present position:

  • Retired Professor at the University of Johannesburg, Department of Geology.
    Chairman of the South African Committee for Stratigraphy (SACS) and member of sub-commissions for the Archean and Proterozoic.
    Vice-President of the Geological Society of Africa (GSAf).

 

General Experience:


Regional geology and mapping, and mineral prospecting experience in Germany, Italy, Austria and Switzerland, France, South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique, Tunisia, Egypt, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, India, Australia (Pilbara), Peru, Brazil, Mexico. The above in sedimentary ore deposits (BIF related Fe, Mn, limestones, placers), coal, MVT deposits, VMS deposits, volcanogenic gold, sedimentology and early life environment and in geological interpretation of satellite images and aerial photographs on different scales and of varying data quality from LANDSAT to hyperspectral systems.

 

My research interest and specializations encompass mainly Archean surface environments and sedimentology and the conditions of early life on Earth. I have however also been deeply involved in research of South African coal deposits, Karoo intrusions and other subjects.

 

I have some expertise in heavy mineral extraction and in single grain dating of zircons, furthermore in petrography and geochemistry of magmatic and sedimentary rocks.

 

I have been involved in consulting business in Germany (Pangea Consulting) for two years, serving mainly the German Oil and Gas industry (DEA) and have consulted for the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR).

 

In South Africa, I led for many years the largest geological CO2-sequestration research group in the country, working on sequestration and mineral carbonation projects in cooperation with SANEDI, SACCCS and CGS.

 

Qualification:
2010-2020:  
NRF Rated Researcher B1and B2 (“Internationally Acknowledged Researcher Award”).

 

2004/05:      
Qualification aux fonctions de Professeur des universités et de Muse National de Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), du Ministère de la Jeunesse, de l’Education Nationale et de la Recherche de France. (French qualifications for a university professorship and MNHN).

 

1998:          
Habilitation (Dr. rer. nat. habil.) at the Ludwig-Maximilians University (LMU), München and Venia legendi (pedagogical qualification). (German qualification for university professorship).

 

1988:          
Dissertation (Dr. rer. nat.) at the Freie Universität (FU) (West-)Berlin. Thesis: “Facies development in the Permian Petchabun basin, Central Thailand and Malaysia”.

 

1983:
Dipl. Geol.; 5-years MSc-equivalent in Geology/Palaeontology at the FU-Berlin. Thesis: “Sedimentology of the Permian Molasse in Central Thailand” (in German).

 

Professional career (selected):


2015-2019:  
Head of the Department of Geology, University of Pretoria

 

2009-2019:
Kumba-Exxaro Chair in Geodynamics, Department of Geology, University of Pretoria

 

2006-2009:  
Professor in Geology at the Ludwig-Maximilians University (LMU), Munich, Germany.

 

1999-2009:  
Honorary Professor in Geology at the University of Pretoria, South Africa.

 

2004-2007:  
Professor, Commissary Chair (C4-HoD) in Geology, LMU, Munich.

 

2005-2008:  
Honorary Professor at Shandong University of Science and Technology, Tsing Dao, China.

 

2002-2004:  
Visiting Scientist at the Centre Biophysique Moleculaire, Equipe Exobiologie, of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; CNRS, Orléans, France.

 

1998-2001:  
Professor (C4 acting chair) in Geolog, Historical Geology and Geological Remote Sensing at the Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.

 

Professional commitments (selected):


2018 – pres.
Editorial Board member of South African Journal of Geology.

 

2018 – pres.
Editorial Board member of Springer Nature Applied Sciences (SN Applied Sciences) (section Earth and Environmental Sciences).

 

2014 – pres.
Chairman of the South African Committee for Stratigraphy (SACS).

 

2014 – pres.
Vice-President of the Geological Society of Africa (GSAf).

 

2014-2016   
IGC 35th Cape Town 2016: International Geological Congress; Member of the Organisation Committee, Convenor and organiser of workshop and excursion Western Margin of the Kaapvaal Craton. Convenor: special session on Ancient Stromatolites and their Habitats; Excursion leader Archean Stromatolites

 

2013-2014:
Council Member and Treasurer of the Geological Society of Africa (GSAf).

 

2010-2015:
Editorial Board Member of the international journal “Astrobiology” (Ann Libert Co).

 

2008-2015:
Associate Editor for the Journal of African Earth Sciences, Elsevier.

 

Honours and membership (selected):


2012-2017:
Exceptional Academic Achiever Award of the University of Pretoria.

 

2017:          
Fellow of the Geological Society of South Africa.

 

2013:          
University of Western Australia Sydney – Visiting Scholar Research Award.

 

2010-2015:
NRF Rated Researcher “Internationally Acknowledged Researcher Award (B1)”.

 

2005-2008:
Honorary Professor at Shandong University of Science and Technology, Tsing Dao, China.

 

1999-2009:
Honorary Professor at the University of Pretoria, South Africa.

 

Member:   

 
Southern Africa Association for the Advancement of Science (S2A3), Geological Society of South Africa (Fellow), Geological Society of Africa (vice-President), International Society for the Studies of the Origin of Life (ISSOL) Formerly: Geologische Vereinigung, International Association of Sedimentologists (IAS), Bund Deutscher Geologen (BDG/EUG)..

 

Publications:

  • ISI researcher ID: B-4336-2008
  • Google Scholar Citations (GSC) Data:
  • Total number of publications: c. 250
  • Sum of the times cited (GSC): c. 3600+
  • h-Index (Google Scholar): 34
  • i10-Index: 67
  • ORCID: 0000-0002-9499-424X