AOGS Axford Medal Award Recipient


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2023-2024
2024 AOGS Axford Medallist
Jian LIN

Southern University of Science and Technology

It is our distinct pleasure to nominate Prof Jian Lin for the Axford Medal of the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS). Given Prof LIN’s seminal contributions to global ocean and solid Earth sciences, his major impact in our understanding of the oceanic tectonics and earthquake interaction, his exceptional leadership in global and Asia-Oceania geoscience programs, and his extraordinary unselfish effort in nurturing a new generation of Asia-Oceania young geoscience leaders, we cannot think of an individual more deserving of the Axford Medal.

Prof Lin is a visionary scientist who synergizes sea-going geophysical experiments with cutting-edge modeling– a rare synergy that has proved exceptionally powerful, leading to high-impact contributions in several fields: (1) Global Oceanic Plate Formation at Ocean Spreading Centers, (2) Earthquake Interaction and (3) Global Oceanic Plate Subduction System and Formation of Marginal Seas. His seminal contributions are hard to overlook from his extraordinary record of high-impact papers and discoveries. In the words of several distinguished international leaders, Prof Lin “has been an author of several of the most important and influential papers of the last decade in solid Earth geophysics”; “the range and number of his scientific contributions are truly impressive”; and his record of contributions is “a litany of milestones in marine tectonics and seismology”.

Prof Lin’s leadership in global and Asia-Oceania geoscience programs are exemplary. He has served as Chair of the InterRidge (International Cooperation in Ocean Floor Studies) Program which resulted in expansion of membership to several Asia-Oceania countries. He has also co-led bilateral collaborative programs, including those with Japan, China, Korea, Pakistan and Myanmar. An outstanding mentor, Prof Lin has influenced numerous graduate students, post-docs, and junior scientists, particularly those from Asia and Oceania. With a career spanning over three decades at WHOI, MIT-WHOI, and SUSTech, he has nurtured many young talents from countries like Japan, China, Korea, Australia, India, Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Singapore, many of whom have become notable researchers and recipients of Young Scientist Awards. Additionally, Prof Lin has organized over 30 international schools, workshops, and training courses, benefiting thousands of students and scientists from Asia and Oceania.

Dake Chen, Professor, Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources of China Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.