Dan Valentin Palcu-Rolier

Im Dr. Dan Valentin Palcu, a geoscientist driven by curiosity about Earths deep past and its implications for our future. My work lies at the intersection of geology, paleomagnetism, and paleoceanography, focusing on reconstructing paleoenvironments, geochronologies, and the complex interactions between aquatic systems and climate change over millions of years.From the vast Miocene seas of Eurasia to the rift lakes of East Africa, my research spans diverse continents and timeframes. These projects, while anchored in ancient systems, aim to address present-day concerns how marine connectivity, water stratification, and redox changes inform our understanding of anoxic events and climate instability. My focus has been to investigate the geological past not as a static record but as a dynamic archive filled with lessons for today.One of the most defining moments of my career was leading the discovery of the Paratethys megalake, now recognized as the largest lake in Earths history. This discovery, acknowledged by the Guinness Book of World Records, provided a remarkable perspective on the hydrological and climatic complexity of the Miocene epoch, and how lake dynamics can reflect global climate transformations.My approach is deeply interdisciplinary. I combine paleomagnetic signals with organic and inorganic geochemistry to develop integrated proxies for reconstructing anoxia and salinity in ancient basins. These tools are not only academically valuable but also cost-effective and scalable, offering new ways to study modern analogs of past environmental crises.Ive collaborated with researchers across the globe in the US, China, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, India, and Brazil. Each partnership enriches my perspective and builds new frameworks for interpreting Earths climatic past. My work in elemental geochemistry with teams in Wuhan and Cleveland, isotope studies in Bristol, and organic geochemistry in Frankfurt exemplify how collaborative science fuels innovation.Im proud to co-lead the COST Action SaltAges, a European network of over 200 scientists from more than 35 countries. SaltAges explores how salt deposits and isolated basins shaped climate, biology, and even human evolution. It serves as both a research platform and a collaborative ecosystem connecting geology with biology and climatology.Another passion of mine is human evolution. At the Koobi Fora Field School in Kenya, I guide students through field research, exploring how environmental instability influenced early hominins. Fluctuations in lake systems likely played a key role in driving technological and biological adaptation a theory we continue to test through sediment cores and magnetostratigraphy.My career has been supported by research grants from institutions like the Dutch Research Council, São Paulo Research Foundation, National Science Foundation (US), and the UK-Brazil NERC-FAPESP collaboration. These grants have allowed me to lead interdisciplinary projects ranging from Neogene lake reconstructions to marine gateway evolution.Teaching and outreach have been integral to my path. Ive taught paleomagnetism and field geology in Romania, the Netherlands, and Kenya. My outreach work includes educational programs for UNESCO Geoparks and media appearances on National Geographic, Globo TV, and ProTV. Sharing science with the public, especially in multiple languages, has always been part of my mission.Ive authored or co-authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications and contributed as a reviewer for journals like Nature Communications and Earth-Science Reviews. But what inspires me most is mentoring students, helping them take their first steps in research, and watching them grow into independent scientists.With fluency in six languages Romanian, English, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese and conversational skills in Spanish and Dutch, Ive been able to collaborate and communicate across borders. (Source: Lattes Curriculum)