Peter Szatmari (geologist)
Encyclopedia
Peter Szatmari is a geologist born in Budapest
, Hungary, where he graduated in geology
at the Eötvös Loránd University. He obtained his PhD
from the University of Edinburgh
on salt (evaporites) and performed post-doctoral research at Princeton University
. He also worked at the Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, during the early days of plate tectonics theory
.
Since 1973 Szatmari has worked in Brazil
, initially as a consultant to Petrobras
. He has taught courses and led work teams that have made important discoveries of deposits of potassium salts and oil in the Sergipe-Alagoas and Amazonas basins. Since 1980, he has been a member of the research staff of the Research Center of Petrobras, CENPES
, in Rio de Janeiro
. In addition to coordinating various study groups, he has taught courses in structural geology
, tectonics
, and tectonic geology of salt (evaporites).
Szatmari has published over 200 works, including articles in scientific journal
s, monograph
s and technical report
s, and jointly edited the book Salt - Geology and Tectonics. One of Szatmari's most important contributions is on the formation of oil via catalytic reactions of the Fischer-Tropsch type, as serpentization of mantle's peridotites. He also performed studies on the distribution of metals present in petroleum
, comparing them with the mantle
rocks, chondrites, crust, and seawater.
His recent research work, with others at Petrobras
and its private partners (British Gas
BG
, Repsol of Spain
and GALP
of Portugal
), on the oil deposites deep beneath the salt layer in the Santos Basin
(the continental crust extending about 700 kilometers offshore in the region of the São Paulo
) has been mentioned in the Brazilian national press.
In 2009, he was the honorary president, of the VI International Symposium on Tectonics.
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary, where he graduated in geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
at the Eötvös Loránd University. He obtained his PhD
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
from the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
on salt (evaporites) and performed post-doctoral research at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
. He also worked at the Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, during the early days of plate tectonics theory
Plate tectonics
Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that describes the large scale motions of Earth's lithosphere...
.
Since 1973 Szatmari has worked in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, initially as a consultant to Petrobras
Petrobras
Petróleo Brasileiro or Petrobras is a semi-public Brazilian multinational energy corporation headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is the largest company in Latin America by market capitalization and revenue, and the largest company headquartered in the Southern Hemisphere by market...
. He has taught courses and led work teams that have made important discoveries of deposits of potassium salts and oil in the Sergipe-Alagoas and Amazonas basins. Since 1980, he has been a member of the research staff of the Research Center of Petrobras, CENPES
Cenpes
The Centro de Pesquisas Leopoldo Américo Miguez de Mello known as Cenpes is the unit of Research Center of Petrobras responsible for research and development and basic engineering of the company...
, in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. In addition to coordinating various study groups, he has taught courses in structural geology
Structural geology
Structural geology is the study of the three-dimensional distribution of rock units with respect to their deformational histories. The primary goal of structural geology is to use measurements of present-day rock geometries to uncover information about the history of deformation in the rocks, and...
, tectonics
Tectonics
Tectonics is a field of study within geology concerned generally with the structures within the lithosphere of the Earth and particularly with the forces and movements that have operated in a region to create these structures.Tectonics is concerned with the orogenies and tectonic development of...
, and tectonic geology of salt (evaporites).
Szatmari has published over 200 works, including articles in scientific journal
Scientific journal
In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research. There are thousands of scientific journals in publication, and many more have been published at various points in the past...
s, monograph
Monograph
A monograph is a work of writing upon a single subject, usually by a single author.It is often a scholarly essay or learned treatise, and may be released in the manner of a book or journal article. It is by definition a single document that forms a complete text in itself...
s and technical report
Technical report
A technical report is a document that describes the process, progress, or results of technical or scientific research or the state of a technical or scientific research problem. It might also include recommendations and conclusions of the research...
s, and jointly edited the book Salt - Geology and Tectonics. One of Szatmari's most important contributions is on the formation of oil via catalytic reactions of the Fischer-Tropsch type, as serpentization of mantle's peridotites. He also performed studies on the distribution of metals present in petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
, comparing them with the mantle
Mantle
A mantle is an ecclesiastical garment in the form of a very full cape which extends to the floor, joined at the neck, that is worn over the outer garments....
rocks, chondrites, crust, and seawater.
His recent research work, with others at Petrobras
Petrobras
Petróleo Brasileiro or Petrobras is a semi-public Brazilian multinational energy corporation headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is the largest company in Latin America by market capitalization and revenue, and the largest company headquartered in the Southern Hemisphere by market...
and its private partners (British Gas
British Gas
British Gas is the name of several companies:* British Gas plc, the former gas monopoly in the United Kingdom and its successor companies** Centrica, which has the rights to the British Gas name in the UK...
BG
BG Group
BG Group plc is a global oil and gas company headquartered in Reading, United Kingdom. It has operations in 25 countries across Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, North America and South America and produces around 680,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. It has a major Liquefied Natural Gas ...
, Repsol of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and GALP
Galp
Galp may refer to:*Galp Energia, an oil and gas company from Portugal*GalP , an integral membrane protein present in Escherichia Coli*Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate*Galanin-like peptide, a neuropeptide...
of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
), on the oil deposites deep beneath the salt layer in the Santos Basin
Santos Basin
The Santos Basin is an offshore pre-salt basin. It is located in the south Atlantic Ocean, some south east of São Paulo, Brazil. One of the largest Brazilian sedimentary basins, it is the site of several recent significant oil fields, including Tupi and Jupiter....
(the continental crust extending about 700 kilometers offshore in the region of the São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
) has been mentioned in the Brazilian national press.
In 2009, he was the honorary president, of the VI International Symposium on Tectonics.
External links
- Geophysical and geochemical evidence for cold upper mantle beneath the Equatorial Atlantic Ocean
- Trace Elements in Brazilian Oils: Indications for a Serpentinizing Mantle Source
- Interview with Prof. Peter Szatmari in Petrobras Bulletin of Geoscience, Issue Volume 13, No. 1 May 2005, in Portuguese and English
- Petroleum formation by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis in plate tectonics - AAPG reference
- Global Miocene tectonics and the modern world - Earth Science Reviews Potter & Szatmari, 2009
- Petroleum formation from serpentinizing continental mantle by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis - Goldsmith Conference - 2009 - Davos, Switzerland