In his research, Oliver Plümper investigates how minerals change over the course of Earth's history and what influence fluids such as water or carbon dioxide have on rocks deep within the Earth. Such processes take place out of sight, but are central to understanding volcanism, earthquakes, the formation of raw materials, and even the long-term storage of CO₂.

His work shows that if you want to understand the Earth, you need to be familiar with its smallest building blocks. He combines foundation research with current issues of sustainability and the goal is to gain new scientific insights that will help us use resources more responsibly and protect the environment in the long term. Said research builds bridges between natural sciences and social relevance and implements state-of-the-art analytical methods such as 3D X-ray imaging, interferometry, and electron microscopy, which are technologies that make even the finest changes in rocks visible.

Oliver Plümper spent over 16 years working abroad, including as a professor at Utrecht University in the Netherlands and at the Center for Physics of Geological Processes at the University of Oslo, Norway. He studied Geosciences at the University of Münster.

Professor Plümper believes in open, transparent, and future-oriented science. His research group operates according to the principles of open science and makes its findings accessible to the research community and the general public. His goal is to provide new impetus for innovative, sustainable, and interdisciplinary geosciences.