The Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences (IFM-GEOMAR) is deeply saddened by the passing of Professor Dr. Friedrich Schott following a year-long battle with cancer. With his passing, the Institute and the University of Kiel lose a nationally and internationally recognized researcher, teacher and colleague.

Friedrich Schott obtained his PhD in Oceanography in Kiel, under the guidance of Professor Günter Dietrich. In 1968, he obtained a position as Assistant in the then Institut für Meereskunde (now Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences or IFM-GEOMAR). He obtained his Habilitation in 1974, and in 1978 was appointed Professor at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science of the University of Miami in the USA. In 1987, he was called back to Kiel where he became C4 Professor for Physical Oceanography.

The ocean circulation and its central significance for global climate lay at the heart of Friedrich Schott’s research. In the context of hard-won data from his more than 30 research cruises to key regions of the Atlantic and Indian oceans, he made fundamental contributions to our understanding of ocean circulation. This included pioneering research into the response of the Somali Current to the variable monsoon winds, and developing a method to unambiguously determine the ocean circulation from hydrographic data alone, thereby solving a long-standing problem in physical oceanography.

He was the initiator and driving force behind the Collaborative Research Project “Dynamics of the Thermohaline Circulation” which was funded from 1996-2006 by the German Research Foundation (DFG). Within this project, he and his colleagues made major contributions to our understanding of the sinking of cold, dense waters in the northern North Atlantic, a process critical for the deep ocean circulation as well as the role played by the Gulf Stream for climate. Even after his retirement in 2004, he remained highly active in marine science, maintaining his international collaborations and authoring numerous scientific papers.

Friedrich Schott's scientific portfolio comprises more than 100 major publications in international, peer-reviewed journals. His exceptional research and service were recognized by leading national and international scientific organizations. This included his appointment as Senator of the German Research Foundation, as well as being awarded the Fridtjof-Nansen Medal of the European Geophysical Union, the Prince Albert I Medal of the International Association for the Physical Sciences of the Oceans, and the Henry Stommel Medal of the American Meteorological Society. He was appointed Fellow of both the American Meteorological Society and the American Geophysical Union.

Professor Dr. Friedrich Schott was instrumental in securing an international reputation for Kiel’s marine research. His colleagues and friends from the Institute and University are grateful for his long-lasting achievements and will miss his exceptional insight, energy and drive. Their sympathy and condolences are extended to his wife and family.

 

Last Update this page: 13.05.2008.