Barbara Sherwood Lollar facts for kids

Barbara Sherwood Lollar, born on February 19, 1963, is a Canadian geologist. She is famous for studying very old water, even water that's billions of years old! She teaches at the University of Toronto. She also holds a special title, a Canada Research Chair, for her work on Earth's chemistry.

About Barbara Sherwood Lollar

Barbara grew up in Kingston, Ontario. Her parents were historians. She studied geology at Harvard University. Later, she earned her Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from the University of Waterloo in 1990. She also did more research at the University of Cambridge. In 1992, she started working at the University of Toronto.

What She Does

Barbara Sherwood Lollar is an expert in geochemistry. This is the study of the chemistry of the Earth. She has written over 200 scientific papers. These papers are about Earth and space sciences. She has also guided more than 100 students and researchers.

She often works with other scientists. These include Tullis Onstott and Lisa Pratt. They work together on big research projects.

Her Amazing Discoveries

Barbara is best known for her work on ancient waters. She studies water that has been trapped deep underground for a very long time. Some of this water is billions of years old!

Her research helps us understand how water moves underground. It also shows us how life might survive in extreme places. This includes places deep inside Earth. Her discoveries even help scientists think about where life might exist on other planets.

Awards and Honours

Barbara Sherwood Lollar has received many important awards. These awards recognize her amazing work in science.

• In 2004, she became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
• In 2012, she won the ENI award. This award is for energy and environmental research.
• In 2015, she became a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union.
• In 2016, she received the John C. Polanyi Award. This award is from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.
• Also in 2016, she was made a Companion of the Order of Canada. This is one of Canada's highest honours. It was for her "revolutionary contributions to geochemistry." This means her new ideas about how to clean up groundwater. It also recognized her discovery of ancient fluids. These discoveries have ideas for life on other planets.
• In 2019, she was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very old and respected scientific group in the UK.
• In 2021, she became a member of the National Academy of Engineering. This was for her work on Earth's water and air.
• On May 6, 2019, she received the Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal. This is Canada's top science and engineering award.
• In 2024, she won the Nemmers Prize in Earth science. This was for her "groundbreaking discoveries." These discoveries help us understand Earth's water and carbon cycles. These cycles are important for life on Earth.