Sébastien Merkel is a full professor at the Université de Lille in France. His research focuses on understanding the dynamics and formation of the deeper portions of the Earth. He performs experiments under extreme pressure and temperature to study microstructures in polycrystals, their mechanical behavior, and their relation to phase transformations. He then integrates the results of his experiments into numerical models to understand wave propagation through complex microstructures and compares the results of these models to seismic observations. This work aims at understanding the dynamics and formation of the Earth’s mantle and inner core. Sébastien Merkel has published over 60 scientific papers, and he has been a member of AGU since the 1990s. Before holding his position in France, he worked at several institutions in France, Japan, and the United States. 
0000-0003-2767-581X
Medal for Research Excellence of the European Mineralogical Union, 2011
Mineral and Rock Physics Outstanding Student Award, AGU, 2002
Université de Lille
Lille, France
