DR. THOMAS RONGE
POLAR MARINE GEOLOGIST
DR. THOMAS RONGE
MARINE GEOLOGIST - CLIMATE SCIENTIST
BIOGRAPHY
I am a Marine Geologist and Climate Scientist, working as a Staff Scientist and Expedition Project Manager for the Scientific Ocean Drilling Coordination Office (SODCO) at Texas A&M University.
At SODCO I provide scientific expertise, leadership, and advocacy for implementation of expedition projects and am responsible for overall implementation of scientific ocean drilling expeditions and achievement of the cruise science plan.
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My own research focuses on the understanding of past changes in ocean currents, their influence on the oceanic
uptake and release of COâ‚‚ , and how "warm" deep-waters affect ice sheets.
In a nutshell, I work on a better understanding of how oceans affect the climate and glaciers.
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I currently contribute to several international interdisciplinary research projects that focus on the reconstruction of past climate changes in and around Antarctica and the Arctic, as well as Mediterranean volcanism.
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I participated in numerous international expeditions to Antarctica and the Arctic, the Mediterranean, North and South Atlantic, North and South Pacific, and the Southern Ocean. I have extensive experience working on (polar) research vessels, as well as working on land, glaciers, mountain environments, and research diving.
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My love for science has resulted in a passion to share the knowledge and fascinating stories from the field with a broader public.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
lRonge, T. A., Kutterolf, S., Fernandez-Perez, T. I., Manga, M., Metcalfe, A., Preine, J., Tominaga, M., Woodhouse, A., Yeon, J., Druitt, T., and the Expedition 398 Scientists (2024). X-ray fluorescence scanning of Sites U1591 and U1599, IODP Expedition 398, Hellenic Arc Volcanic Field. Proceedings of the International Ocean Discovery Program, Volume 398. paper here
Lucchi, R., St. John, K., Ronge, T. A., and Expedition 403 Scientists (2024). Expedition 403 Preliminary Report. Proceedings of the International Ocean Discovery Program. report here
Druitt, T., Kutterolf, S., Ronge, T. A., and the Expedition 398 Scientists (2024). Expedition 398 Hellenic Arc. Proceedings of the International Ocean Discovery Program, Volume 398 here
Klages, J., Hillenbrand, C.-D., Bohaty, St., Salzmann, U., Lohmann, G., Gierz, P., [...], Spiegel, C., Dziadek, R., Ronge, T. A., Freudenthal, T., Gohl, K. (2024). Ice sheet-free West Antarctica during peak early Oligocene glaciation. Science. paper here
Zundel, M., Spiegel, C., Mark, C., Millar, D., Klages, J., Gohl, K., Hillenbrand, C.-D., Najman, Y., Salzmann, U., Ehrmann, W., Titschak, J., [...], Bohaty, S., Kuhn, G., Ronge, T. A., Science Team of Expedition PS104. (2024). A large-scale transcontinental river system crossed West Antarctica during the Eocene. Science Advances. paper here
Ronge, T. A. and Dbritto, S. (2024). Using XRF scanning–derived grain size analysis for rapid assessment of bottom current velocities on long drill cores from the southern Scotia Sea, IODP Expedition 382. Proceedings of the International Ocean Discovery Program. paper here
Preine, J. Karstens, J., Hübscher, C., Druitt, T.,Kutterolf, S., Nomikou, P., Manga, M., Gertisser, R., Pank, K., Beethe, S., Berthod, C., Crutchley, G., McIntosh, I., Ronge, T. A., and Exp 398 Science Party. (2024). Hazardous explosive eruptions of a recharging multi-cyclic island arc caldera. Nature Geoscience. paper here
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​Reviewer for
IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere; IPCC 6th Assessment Report; Earth and Planetary Science Letters; G-Cubed; Journal of Climate; Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology; National Science Foundation; Nature Communications; Quaternary Science Reports
SCIENCE COMMUNICATION
My German and English outreach activities aim at different audiences, thus I offer different formats of Science Communication.
PUBLIC TALKS
45-60 min. or longer
SCIENCE IN A PUB
Coming to a pub/bar near you
VIRTUAL TALKS
Video calls with school classes, libraries, clubs...
MEDIA
TV, radio, podcast, print, and online...
SHOWCASE
Several national and international media outlets used my expedition and research photos in various articles, documentaries, and books. Past clients are: The BBC, Corriere della Sera, Cosmos Magazine, CNN, Der Spiegel, dpa, Kathimerini, National Geographic, n-tv, P. M. Magazin, Popular Mechanics, Science & Vie, SAPERE, The Guardian, vox.com, and more.
Copyright Notice
The pictures used here are ©Thomas Ronge. In addition, thank you to the following people for granting me the right to use their pictures here.
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Biography picture top: Sasha Plewe/IOW
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Biography picture bottom left: Esther Horvath/AWI
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Outreach video call picture: Chris Montgomery on unsplash
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Outreach pub picture: Jens Kube