معرفی
Tonci Balic Zunic is an Associate Professor in Mineralogy and Crystallography at the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen. He leads the X-ray diffraction laboratory and has made significant contributions to the field of mineralogy, particularly in the study of crystal structures and diffraction methods. His work spans theoretical development, experimental techniques, and practical applications in geological and planetary studies, materials development, environmental protection, and medical applications.
His educational background includes a Dr.Sci in Geology from the University of Zagreb (1984), a PhD in Mineralogy & Petrology (1978), and a Master of Science in Geology (1975), all from the University of Zagreb. His academic career began in Croatia before moving to Denmark in the early 1990s.
Dr. Balic Zunic's research focuses on understanding the nature of the solid state through mathematical tools and experimental methods. His primary areas of interest include Mineralogy of Icelandic fumaroles, Limits and improvement of the Rietveld method in Mineralogy, High-pressure crystallography of sulphosalts, and Mineralogy of Stone Age artefacts. He has developed original theoretical tools for the quantification of atomic coordination deformations in solids and authored the computer program IVTON for crystal structure analysis.
His recent publications demonstrate a continued focus on mineral discovery, particularly fumarolic minerals from volcanic environments, high-pressure mineral physics, and advanced crystallographic analysis techniques. His research shows strong international collaboration across Europe and beyond, with numerous discoveries of new minerals and structural studies under extreme conditions.
- Honorary Member of the Italian Society of Mineralogy and Petrology
Dr. Balic Zunic has supervised 12 Master's and 6 PhD students. He has led numerous research projects including the Nordic Mineralogical Network (2006-2010), Modular crystal structures and ordering of atoms in minerals (2006-2008), and several projects focused on high-pressure crystallography and mineral analysis. His work spans diverse fields including cement and ceramics, crystal chemistry of sulphosalts, silicates and fluorides, environmental protection, planetology, metamorphic petrology, ore mineralogy, paleoclimate, biomineralogy with medical applications, heterogeneous catalysis and archaeology.
He leads the X-ray diffraction laboratory at the University of Copenhagen and has organized international research groups including the Nordic Mineralogical Network and research groups on fumaroles and high-pressure crystal structures. His work involves extensive collaboration with research institutions across Europe and worldwide, including universities and research centers in Athens, Bari, Basel, Bayreuth, Belgrade, Bilbao, Bochum, Cairo, Firenze, Genova, Göttingen, Heidelberg, Iceland, Innsbruck, Moscow, Nantes, Oslo, Padova, Perugia, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Prague, Roma, Salzburg, Stockholm, Taipei, Tokyo, Torino, Wien and Zagreb.
