Gesa Weyhenmeyer

Gesa Weyhenmeyer
Scientific presentation by Weyhenmeyer in 2017
Born1969 (age 54–55)
NationalitySwedish and German
Alma mater
  • Christan-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (Undergraduate studies, 1989-90)
  • Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg (Vordiplom in Hydrology, 1991)
  • Trent University (BSc - Dean's Honors List, 1992)
  • Uppsala University (PhD, 1996)
  • The University of Western Australia (Postdoc)
  • Technische Universität Dresden (Postdoc)
  • Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Docent, 2003)
Children2
Scientific career
FieldsLimnology
InstitutionsUppsala University
Websitehttps://weyhenmeyer.weebly.com/

Gesa A. Weyhenmeyer (born 1969) is a Swedish limnologist who explores how Earth's diverse and fascinating lake ecosystems respond to the accelerating pace of change in the world. She is working as a professor and distinguished teacher at Uppsala University in Sweden [1][2] and member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.[3] Internationally, she is renowned for her pioneering research on the functioning of lake ecosystems in the Earth System, which substantially contributed to a shift in scientific theory from viewing lakes as passive pipes to considering them as highly active transformers in the Earth System. Her research requires a holistic and global perspective, for which she collaborates with members of the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON).[4] In addition to GLEON, Weyhenmeyer is actively engaged in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), both as official reviewer and contributing author.[5]

Apart from developing new concepts in the field of global limnology, bridging together biology with geosciences, physics, chemistry, sensor technology and data science, Weyhenmeyer has a passion to communicate research to students, policy-makers, stakeholders and society in general. In 2016, she performed, for example, a citizen scientist project with the involvement of nearly 3,500 schoolchildren. The results of the project led to a new climate change related scientific discovery[6] which was recognized by a large variety of national and international media.[7][8][9] In December 2020, Weyhenmeyer and scientist Will Steffen initiated an open letter in the Guardian calling for human civilization to prepare for the possibility of collapse within the 21st century in light of the impending failure to implement timely climate actions.[10]

  1. ^ New Professors at Uppsala University in 2012
  2. ^ Employees at Uppsala University, Sweden, Gesa Weyhenmeyer
  3. ^ "Uppsala researchers elected to the Academy". Archived from the original on 2021-09-21. Retrieved 2020-08-18.
  4. ^ Projects in the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network
  5. ^ IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, 2019, List of authors
  6. ^ Weyhenmeyer, Gesa A.; Mackay, Murray; Stockwell, Jason D.; Thiery, Wim; Grossart, Hans-Peter; Augusto-Silva, Pétala B.; Baulch, Helen M.; de Eyto, Elvira; Hejzlar, Josef; Kangur, Külli; Kirillin, Georgiy; Pierson, Don C.; Rusak, James A.; Sadro, Steven; Woolway, R. Iestyn (March 6, 2017). "Citizen science shows systematic changes in the temperature difference between air and inland waters with global warming". Scientific Reports. 7 (1): 43890. Bibcode:2017NatSR...743890W. doi:10.1038/srep43890. PMC 5338347. PMID 28262715.
  7. ^ "News and interview: School pupils paved way for key research findings".
  8. ^ Interview by the Swedish Radio, October 18, 2016, 19 minutes (in Swedish), Här undersöks sjöars nyanser av brunt
  9. ^ "News and interview (in Swedish): Att kartlägga vattnets färg". Vetenskap & Allmänhet. May 12, 2016.
  10. ^ "A warning on climate and the risk of societal collapse – Letter". theguardian.com. 2020-12-06. Retrieved 2021-02-01.