Welcome to my personal website!


I am currently an Assistant Professor in Tectonics at Department of Geology and Geochemistry at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.


I see myself as an ambitious, fearless and idealistic scientist:
Ambitious, because my dream is to become a Professor in Geology, making groundbreaking discoveries, while mentoring and educating the next generation of geoscientists.
Fearless, because personal and professional challenges haven’t stopped me from pursuing my career and going on adventures.
Idealistic, because I believe the academic world is a beautiful environment to work in that could be even more inclusive and accessible if we get rid of long-standing (unconcious) prejudices and work collaboratively on discovering the secrets of our planet.


My research evolves around plate tectonic, predominantly in extensional systemss such as back-arc basins and mid-oceanic ridges. I have deliberately acquired skills in geology, geophysics and geodynamics to tackle more complex geological problems. In all three fields I have proven expertise, which is an ideal starting point to lead multi-discplinary projects in geosciences.


I am fascinated by back-arc basins, because they have played a major role in the opening and closure of ocean gateways, and thus they have greately influenced how climate changed on Earth. Back-arc basins often border both our continents and the oceanic domain, which means that both continental and oceanic tectonic processes need to be considered, but because they are often submerged, it is very difficult to get in-situ data, which makes it a challenging and fascinating region to work in. Lastly, the land-bordering location of back-arc basins together with their high tectonic activity make back-arc basins high-risk regions for natural hazards such as earthquakes and (submarine) landslides. This natural hazard potential is another reason why it is important to investigate back-arc basins.


Like many highly competitive fields, I believe academia and science would thrive if it would be more transparent, more open and more inclusive. I therefore dedicate time and energy advocating for more diversity, more transparency and equality in the scientific world.


On this website, past and ongoing projects are listed, as well as my publication and outreach record.


If you would like to get in contact, feel free to send me an email or contact me on social media!


Dr. Anouk Beniest

Tectonics
Geology - Geodynamics - Geophysics


Skills
Fieldwork, structural geology, numerical modelling, analogue modelling, petrology, reflection and refractions seismic data, ArcGIS/QGIS, Python, MatLab, Perple_X, PHP, HTML, AdobeSuite


Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellow


Also find me on:

Research Gate