Minik Rosing

A Greenlander by birth and geology professor in Denmark, Minik Rosing has united science and art in reading history in rocks and ice, and united outdoor adventure and academia into discoveries that have reshaped our understanding of life on Earth.

His research includes exploring where the oldest sediments on the planet, found in Isua near Nuuk, were formed. He and others are credited with finding the oldest evidence of photosynthesis on the planet in rocks that are 3.7 billion years old. These findings imply that the Earth had a functioning biosphere over one billion years earlier than previously believed.

He has led more than 20 geologic field expeditions across Greenland. His interests include the emergence and evolution of life on Earth and the effect of biologic processes on the geochemical evolution of Earth.

Originally from Nuuk, Greenland, he received a Ph.D. in geology from the University of Copenhagen. He is a visiting fellow at Harvard University and a visiting scholar and a Cox visiting professor at Stanford University. He is also the chairman of the working group for the sustainable exploitation of mineral resources in Greenland at the University of Greenland (Ilisimatusarfik) and the University of Copenhagen.

He recently received the 2023 Frederik Paulsen Arctic Academic Action Award.