Véronique Dehant is a Belgian geodesist and

geophysicist Geophysics () is a subject of natural science concerned with the physical processes and physical properties of the Earth and its surrounding space environment, and the use of quantitative methods for their analysis. The term ''geophysics'' som ...

. She specializes in modeling the deformation of the Earth's interior in response to the planet's rotation and the gravitational forces exerted upon it by the Sun and Moon. She has used similar techniques to study Mercury, Venus, Mars and the icy satellites of the outer planets. She primarily works at the Royal Observatory of Belgium, but also serves as an Extraordinary Professor at the

Université Catholique de Louvain The Université catholique de Louvain (also known as the Catholic University of Louvain, the English translation of its French name, and the University of Louvain, its official English name) is Belgium's largest French-speaking university. It ...

Early life and education

Dehant was born in Brussels, Belgium, in 1959. She received all her degrees, in mathematics and physics, from the

, receiving a bachelor's degree in 1981, followed by a master's degree in 1982 and a doctorate in 1986.

Research and career

Initially, Dehant's research focused on better understanding the rotation of the Earth in space ( precession and nutation). She developed models that take into account the structure and interfaces of the Earth, including effects of Earth tides and core resonances. This work led to a new and more accurate reference model for the Earth's rotation. Her research group was rewarded for this work with the 300,000 Euro

Descartes Prize The Descartes Prize was an annual award in science given by the European Union, named in honour of the French mathematician and philosopher, René Descartes. The prizes recognized Outstanding Scientific and Technological Achievements Resulting f ...

in 2003. Dehant is a co-investigator on the

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...

RISE ( Rotation and Interior Structure Experiment) and SEIS (

Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure The Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS) is a seismometer and the primary scientific instrument on board the ''InSight'' Mars lander launched on 5 May 2018 for a landing on 26 November 2018; the instrument was deployed to the surface ...

) projects, which are being hosted by the InSight mission to Mars. The RISE team will use Doppler measurements to determine the rotation and position of Mars in space. This provides information about the structure of the deep interior of Mars. Dehant's work has been widely recognized. In 2003 she received the European Geosciences Union geodesy prize, known as the Vening-Meinesz Medal. She is a Fellow of the

American Geophysical Union The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of Earth, atmospheric, ocean, hydrologic, space, and planetary scientists and enthusiasts that according to their website includes 130,000 people (not members). AGU's act ...

and a foreign member of the

French Academy of Sciences The French Academy of Sciences (French: ''Académie des sciences'') is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV of France, Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French Scientific me ...

. In 2016 she received the Whitten medal from the

. This award is given for "outstanding achievement in research on the form and dynamics of the Earth and planets".

Awards and honors

* 1988:

Charles Lagrange Prize Charles Lagrange Prize, or Prix Charles Lagrange, is a monetary prize, recognizing the best mathematical or experimental work contributing to the progress of mathematical knowledge in the world. It was first awarded in 1952 by the Académie Royale ...

* 2003: Vening-Meinesz Medal, European Geosciences Union * 2003:

of the European Union * 2007: Fellow of the

* 2014: Honorary Doctorate, Observatory of Paris * 2015: Foreign Member, French Academy of Sciences * 2016:

Charles A. Whitten Medal The Charles A. Whitten Medal was established by the American Geophysical Union to honor Charles A. Whitten for his contributions to research in crustal movements, such as plate tectonics. This medal, which was first awarded to Charles A. Whitten, re ...

Books

* V. Dehant and P.M. Mathews, ''Precession, Nutation, and Wobble of the Earth'', Cambridge University Press, 536 pages, April 2015, .

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dehant, Véronique Members of the French Academy of Sciences Fellows of the American Geophysical Union Women geophysicists 21st-century Belgian women scientists 1959 births Scientists from Brussels Living people 20th-century Belgian scientists 21st-century Belgian scientists Academic staff of the Université catholique de Louvain Université catholique de Louvain alumni Geodesists Planetary scientists Women planetary scientists

Early life and education

Research and career

Awards and honors

Books

See also

References