Anthony Koppers

Anthony Koppers is a Professor in the Department of Marine Geology & Geophysics at Oregon State University's College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences (CEOAS). He concurrently serves as Associate Vice President for Research Advancement and Strategy, leading efforts to enhance proposal competitiveness and strategic initiatives. His research focuses on hotspot volcanism, plate tectonics, and mantle dynamics using geochronology and geochemistry techniques. Koppers earned his Ph.D. from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and has held roles at Scripps Institution of Oceanography before joining CEOAS in 2007. He directs the OSU Argon Geochronology Lab and co-directs the Marine and Geology Repository. His work includes leadership in IODP expeditions like Louisville Seamount Trail (Expedition 330) and Shatsky Rise (Expedition 324). Key projects involve absolute plate motion modeling, seamount trail analysis, and cyberinfrastructure for Earth science data sharing through EarthRef.org.

Education: B.Sc. (Geology, 1987–1988), M.Sc. (Isotope Geology, 1988–1993), Ph.D. (40Ar/39Ar Geochronology, 1993–1998), all from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

Research Interests: Integrates geochronology, isotope geochemistry, and computational modeling to study hotspot dynamics, mantle plumes, and tectonic plate interactions. Recent work explores the Louisville Seamount Trail's mantle plume motion, Ontong Java Nui hypothesis, and South China Sea tectonics. Active in developing databases like MagIC and ArArCALC software for geochronological analysis.

Advising & Grants: Advised over a dozen graduate students and postdocs, including notable projects on Loihi Seamount microbial observatories and Antarctic paleomagnetic studies. Principal investigator on NSF-funded projects and IODP expeditions totaling 458 days at sea.

Labs & Teams: Leads the Argon Geochronology Lab, co-directs the Marine Geology Repository, and chairs the IODP JOIDES Resolution Facilities Board. Collaborates internationally on seamount research networks like the FeMO project and MagIC database initiatives.