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All begins in 1955: Claude Lorius, Master of Science in Physics from Besançon University, replies to an ad : “ Needed: young researchers to join scientific expeditions organized in conjunction with the International Geophysical Year".
This is how the scientist's career begins in a discipline that has just appeared in the 50's : glaciology.
Over his 40 years career, he will take part in 22 expeditions, a total of 6 years in the field ! Even if he puts his feet in Greenland, his "land" of predilection will be Antarctica.
Academic Diplomas :
1953 Bachelor's degree in Physics
1954 Master's degree in Physics
1963 PhD in Physics
Duties :
1961 Researcher at CNRS, National Centre for Scientific Research
1968-84 Teaching fellow at Grenoble University (Mechanics of Geophysics and Environment)
1987 Research Director
1979-83 Associate Director, then
1984-89 Director of Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l'Environnement (LGGE)
1992-98 President of IFRTP, French Institute for Polar Research and Technology.
1998-2008 Director Emeritus of Research, CNRS
National Committees :
1968-81 Member of the Scientific Council for the French Austral and Antarctic Territories ( TAAF)
1980-83 President of the Ocean-Atmosphere Section, Member of the Earth-Atmosphere-Space Sector Committee and of the Scinetific Committee of CNRS
1981-87 Member of the Scientific Committee and of the Inter-Bodies Committee of the National Program for the Climate dynamics study. Member of the Higher Council for Research and Technology (1987-89) at MRT, Ministry for Research and Technology
1983-87 Member of the Scientific Committee, President of the Environment Group (1982-83) and Deputy President of the Scientific Committee (1986-87) at INSU, National Institute for the Universe Sciences
1984-87 Chairman of EPF, French Polar Expeditions
1987-94 Chairman of French National Committee on Antarctic Research
1987 Corresponding Member of Académie des Sciences
1994 Member of Académie des Sciences and of Académie des Technologies created in 2000
International Committees :
1980-84 Member of the Scientific Committee OMM-ICSU (JSG) for the World Climate Research Programme
1980-83 Deputy President of the Ice and Snow Commission (UCGI)
1985-93 President of the working group on glaciology (European Science Foundation)
1989-97 Member of the European committee on Oceanography and the Polar Sciences (European Science Foundation and European Commission)
1989 Member of Academia Europaea
1989-98 Member of the steering committee " Past Global Changes" (IGBP)
1984-86 Secretary, then (1986-90) President of the International Committee of SCAR (Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research)
1989-93 Member of the Greenland Ice Core Project Steering Committee
1991-98 Member of the "International Arctic Science Committee"
1993-95 President of EPICA (European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica)
1994 Foreign member of the Russian Academy of Sciences
1999 Fellow of the European Geophysical Society
Distinctions :
1958 Knight in the Order of the Black Star (Bénin)
1966 Delalande-Gurineau Prize (Académie des Sciences)
1982 Officer in the National Order of Merit
1986 Prize of the Statet (Académie des Sciences)
1989 Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur
1989 Humboldt Prize
1989 Belgica Medal
1994 Italgas Prize
1996 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement
1997 The Seligman Crystal (International Glaciological Society)
2001 Balzan Prize for climatology
2002 The CNRS Medaille d’Or
2004 Publication in the "Petit Larousse illustré"
2006 Vernadsky Medal (European Geosciences Union)
2008 SCAR Medal
2008 Blue Planet Prize
2009 Commander of the Légion d’honneur
2015 Grand Officer of the National Order of Merit
2017 Bower Aworld and Prize for Achievement in Science
2017 Prize of the Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco