Manuel Moreira

Head of the Observatory of Sciences of the Universe in the Center Val de Loire region since September 2019, and of the OSUC component of the University of Orléans.

Professor at the University of Orléans, assigned to ISTO, since September 2020.

Deputy Vice-President of the University of Orléans in charge of the MINERVE Project

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Noble Gas Geochemist

After studying Earth Sciences at the University of Paris-Diderot and a thesis at the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, I went on a post-doctoral course at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), with Mark Kurz. In 1999, I was recruited as a lecturer at the University of Paris Diderot, then university professor in 2006.

I am a specialist in noble gas geochemistry, and I work mainly on the origin and evolution of volatile elements on Earth. My tool is mass spectrometry dedicated to the analysis of rare gases, on geological samples and extraterrestrial samples.

In 2019, I moved my laboratory to ISTO (Institute of Earth Sciences in Orléans) and took over the head of OSUC. I became a university professor in Orléans in September 2020.

Here is a 360 view of my laboratory at ISTO, with the HELIX-SFT mass spectrometer:


Head of OSUC

Since 2019, I have been directing the Observatory of Sciences of the Universe in the Centre-Val de Loire region. This means that I am the director of the OSUC Component of the University of Orléans and of the Mixed Service Unit (UMS 3116) of the CNRS, the Paris Observatory and the associated UO.

My missions are to ensure the proper functioning of education at OSUC (1 license in Earth and planetary sciences, 1 professional license, 2 masters), to lead cross-functional research between the different OSUC laboratories (ISTO, LPC2E, Nançay + teams from different laboratories in Orléans), and to administer the 8 national observation services (SNO).

Since the OSUs are the “spearhead” structures of the INSU, I implement the missions that are requested of us by our supervisory authorities (Digital strategy plan, estimation of the carbon footprint of laboratories, promotion of research and observation, interaction with regional partners, etc.).