CEREGE

A new meteorite crater has been discovered… thanks to Google Maps!

Elodie Gazquez — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 12:00:18 +0000

What if a simple look on Google Maps could reveal a meteorite crater dating back 390 million years ?

This is the story of a discovery made by a member of the public that led an international team, including Jérôme Gattacceca, a CNRS research director at CEREGE, to confirm the existence of the Uhackatik crater in Quebec.

How do geologists manage to prove that it is indeed an impact crater? What evidence do they look for in the field? And how can we determine the age of an event that occurred nearly 390 million years ago?

Find out what went on behind the scenes of this discovery by reading the article and listening to the interview with Jérôme Gattacceca, who looks back on this scientific mission.

Read the article and listen to the interview:

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2268642/cratere-meteorite-cote-nord-decouvert-citoyen

The 19th International Congress on Magnetism in Geosciences brings together 115 researchers

Elodie Gazquez — Tue, 7 July 2026 12:43:00 +0000

On the 19th^e International Congress on Magnetism The geosciences conference has just come to an end; it brought together nearly 115 researchers and PhD students for a week in Collonges-la-Rouge.

François Demory A representative from CEREGE was a member of the organising committee alongside Pierre Camps and Paul Antonio (Géosciences Montpellier), Sonia Rousse (GET Toulouse) and François Leveque (La Rochelle).

Return of Ethiopian palaeontological collections held at CEREGE

Elodie Gazquez — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 13:23:55 +0000

On 15 June 2026, an official ceremony to return palaeontological collections took place in Addis Ababa, attended by the Ethiopian Heritage Authority, the French Centre for Ethiopian Studies (CFEE), CEREGE and several scientific and institutional partners.

The samples in question had been discovered in Ethiopia during scientific expeditions carried out in the 1960s and 1970s. Having been held at CEREGE for several decades as part of long-standing Franco-Ethiopian scientific collaborations, they have been officially handed over to the Ethiopian authorities to be added to the national collections.

CEREGE is proud to have contributed to this initiative, which illustrates the importance of international partnerships in advancing scientific knowledge and promoting World Heritage.

COSMO 2026: an international conference on research into cosmogenic nuclides

Elodie Gazquez — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 08:01:15 +0000

The event will take place from 16 to 18 June 2026 COSMO 2026, the international conference on cosmogenic nuclides, organised jointly by Aix-Marseille University and the CNRS. This event will bring together the international scientific community to discuss the latest advances in the use of cosmogenic nuclides for the study of surface processes and landscape evolution.

The programme includes lectures, poster presentations and opportunities for discussion among specialists in the field. Three internationally renowned scientists will be speaking as guest speakers: Hella Wittmann-Oelze (GFZ Potsdam), Duna Roda Boluda (Autonomous University of Barcelona) and Greg Balco (Berkeley Geochronology Centre).

In the run-up to the conference, the CEREGE will host a day of workshops on 15 June 2026 at the Arbois campus. Participants will be able to attend practical sessions on the databases and tools used by the community, as well as a tour of the platform ASTER, a leading facility for the measurement of cosmogenic nuclides using accelerator mass spectrometry.

Several members of CEREGE are involved in organising the 2026 event.

Read more:

Cosmo2026 – SciencesConf

Appointment of “women's” meeting rooms: a commitment to the visibility of women scientists

Elodie Gazquez — Mon, 11 May 2026 08:52:21 +0000

CEREGE is pursuing its commitment to equality with a concrete initiative supported by the laboratory and its equality unit: the naming of three meeting rooms after women scientists.

Three meeting rooms now feature Marie Tharp, Katia Krafft and Anita Conti. To mark the occasion, new plates were installed, each accompanied by a sentence recalling their major contribution to our understanding of plate tectonics, volcanism and the oceans.

Following on from this initiative, CEREGE hosted the conference «What makes women scientists invisible: the Matilda effect», hosted by Louis-Pascal Jacquemond. This presentation looked back at the historical mechanisms by which women have become invisible in science, based on the concept theorised by Margaret Rossiter. The conference is available on request from communication department of the CEREGE.

Several copies of the book The Matilda Effect: women are also scientists (2025), by Louis-Pascal Jacquemond, are currently circulating in the laboratory, extending this awareness-raising approach.

Discover the first edition of the CEREGE Highlights

Elodie Gazquez — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 11:35:41 +0000

We are delighted to present the first edition of the CEREGE Highlights, featuring a selection of our research and teaching achievements from the past two years.

At CEREGE, our work focuses on understanding Earth and environmental dynamics, how they respond to both natural and human-induces changes. In these Highlights, you will find examples of our key scientific achievements, latest instrumental advancements, strategic partnerships, and ongoing commitments to equality or also eco-responsibility.

Enjoy the read!

Mélanie Auffan awarded the CNRS 2026 silver medal

Elodie Gazquez — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 07:45:32 +0000

Mélanie Auffan, a research director at CEREGE and deputy director of the laboratory, was awarded the CNRS silver medal in 2026., in recognition of the excellence and impact of its work on the reactive interfaces between living organisms and (nano)minerals.

The award is part of the CNRS Silver Medal Class of 2026, which includes 26 recipients, and recognises a major contribution to contemporary environmental health issues and responsible innovation.

To find out more, click here:

Science immersion for 180 students at CEREGE

Elodie Gazquez — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:29:33 +0000

On Thursday 2 April 2026, CEREGE opened its doors to mark Printemps des Sciences, an event designed to bring the environmental sciences closer to the younger generation and give them a practical insight into research careers.

Building on the success of previous editions, this year's event has taken on a new dimension with an expanded format across the technology parks, welcoming secondary school students from the southern region to several sites.

Throughout the day, the Arbois technology park in Aix-en-Provence and the Château-Gombert technology park in Marseille were buzzing with scientific discoveries, welcoming a total of 240 students (183 at Arbois and around 60 at Château-Gombert).

Workshops to explore science in a different way

The heart of the day was a wide range of workshops and visits, led by researchers, teacher-researchers, engineers and technicians.

The workshops on offer included experiments on microplastics, hydrogeochemistry and data processing, seismic noise, diatoms, automated micropalaeontology, magnetism, mass spectrometry and innovative tools such as the augmented reality sandbox, MICADAS and ASTER.

Innovative companies from the technology park were also involved, illustrating the close links between research, innovation and the socio-economic fabric.

Meet the research and innovation professions

A highlight of the day was the speed-searching of careers, organised in collaboration with Les Éclaireuses (IRD). This dynamic format enabled students to talk directly to professionals and discover the diversity of careers in science and innovation.

A huge thank you to all the co-organisers, partners, funders and technology clusters, and to everyone involved in making the day a success.

When the field becomes an educational tool

Elodie Gazquez — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 15:18:06 +0000

A video produced by Aix-Marseille University plunges into the heart of a field day like no other, dedicated to karstic hydrogeology and the teaching of Life and Earth Sciences.

Students from Master 1 MEEF SVT and Bio-geosciences (INSPE Marseille) explored the underground environment to gain a better understanding of the water cycle, karstic flows, landscapes and regional geology, while discovering how to incorporate a supervised caving trip into their future careers.

Divided into half-groups, they took part in two workshops combining field observations, in situ measurements, geological map reading and discussions on teaching practices and living together.

The outing was supervised by Bruno Arfib (AMU, CEREGE), Solenne Albertini-Mattei (AMU, INSPE) and Philippe Maurel and Thierry Lamarque (SpéléH2O).

Video produced by Guillaume Gay (AMU, INSPE).

For further information:

A look back at the Hors Les Murs 2026 seminar

Elodie Gazquez — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 08:51:46 +0000

From 21 to 23 January 2026, more than 130 of us gathered at Le Lavandou in the Var for our seminar on a number of aspects of our organisation and operations.

On the programme: workshops on the organisation of future centres, discussions on setting up eco-responsible actions and on non-violent communication. We also discussed concrete issues, such as optimising sample collections, the link between training and research, scientific culture, cross-disciplinary scientific actions to strengthen synergies between research teams, and of course despite the bad weather, we enjoyed some outdoor and festive activities.

The seminar concluded with a review of the various workshops, with a view to drawing up a roadmap of concrete actions that we will share with you over the coming months. We are also preparing a report so that those who were unable to attend can find out about the work done.

A big thank you to the participants and facilitators for their creativity and energy, which made these three days a real laboratory of ideas for the future of CEREGE and a great moment of cohesion and sharing.