Sonja Geilert

Sonja Geilert, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in Geochemistry at Utrecht University's Department of Earth Sciences. Her research focuses on silicate weathering processes, stable isotope geochemistry, and their roles in the Earth's silica-carbon cycle interactions across geological timescales.

• Institution: Utrecht University
• Affiliation: Faculty of Geosciences / Department of Earth Sciences
• Academic Rank: Assistant Professor

Her work bridges natural marine geochemical cycles with climate mitigation strategies, particularly carbon dioxide removal (CDR) through ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE). She investigates mineral-water reactions on the seafloor, their impact on ocean chemistry, and potential applications for CO2 sequestration.

Key projects include:

• Coastal environments as mCDR sites (2025-2029) - Project Leader
• Constraining Hadean ocean geochemistry (2025-2031) - Project Leader
• REPAIRS (2024-2026) - Researcher
• Enhanced benthic weathering (2021-2024) - Project Leader

Her recent publications (2022-2025) demonstrate expertise in

• Stable isotope fractionation
• Marine sediment geochemistry
• Carbon-climate feedback mechanisms
• Mineral dissolution kinetics