Nina Skaarup has a PhD in geophysics from the University of Copenhagen (2002) and has worked at GEUS since 1991, when she started as a student assistant at GGU, as it was called then. The reappointment applies for the coming period, which lasts 6 years. Nina Skaarup is looking forward to taking another turn in the State Geologist’s chair, which requires both professional insight and human qualities.
“The most exciting thing about my work is bringing people together around a common task that benefits society – and that you can see that people are developing, both professionally and personally,” says Nina Skaarup.
For the past two years, Nina Skaarup and her colleagues in the department have spent a lot of time on an intensive data collection campaign, which aims to contribute to the mapping of possible future CO2 storage sites. Part of the work is a major communication effort that Nina Skaarup is proud to have contributed to.
In the past, surveys in Greenland related to opportunities within oil and gas took up a lot of time, but society’s needs are changing. Now it is the green transition that is a priority.
“It has been fun to be part of the transition from black to green energy. GEUS plays an important role in the green transition, among other things in relation to monitoring. In my view, this will only become a bigger and more important task to undertake in step with the development and establishment of CO2 storage sites and other energy storage in Denmark,” says Nina Skaarup.
Another area that Nina Skaarup expects will take up more time for her department is the hunt for critical minerals. She emphasises that GEUS’ geophysical measurement methods and data collection as well as geological knowledge play an important role in this work, as do good colleagues in other GEUS departments.
Collaboration and joy of working
Nina Skaarup highlights good collaboration across GEUS as one of the advantages of GEUS as a workplace, and as an important component in GEUS’ ability to carry out future tasks. In addition, Nina Skaarup appreciates the development opportunities at GEUS, of which her career at GEUS is an example.
“It has been a privilege to have the opportunity to develop as a geologist and geophysicist, as a leader and as a person at GEUS. I am happy to continue to have that opportunity,” says Nina Skaarup.
Nina Skaarup’s commitment and joy of working at GEUS seem to be inexhaustible, and perhaps it is due to the interaction between people and the high quality work she sees every day.
“I am lucky to work with incredibly lovely, smart, competent and hard-working people who both challenge and support each other. It's always a pleasure to come to work, and I look forward to it every day,” says Nina Skaarup.