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In Memory: Geothermal Energy Pioneer Marcelo Lippmann3 min read

by Christina Procopiou on October 3, 2018

Announcements Energy Geosciences Division Geothermal Systems

 

Marcelo J. Lippmann 1939 – 2018

 

Marcelo J. Lippmann, a long-time fixture in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Area, passed away at his home in Berkeley, on September 10, 2018, after a long bout with cancer. Marcelo was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1939, and received his Bachelor of Science in geology from the University of Buenos Aires in 1966. He and his wife Martha then moved to California, where Marcelo continued with his studies, earning a Master of Science in 1969 and his Ph.D. in 1974 in Civil Engineering from UC Berkeley as part of Prof. Paul Witherspoon’s group.

After a short stint working at UC Berkeley, where he conducted research on numerical modeling of heat and mass transfer in geothermal systems, Marcelo moved up the hill to join Berkeley Lab in 1976, where he worked the remainder of his career. Marcelo’s expertise was in the modeling of geothermal systems, with a focus on determining their energy capacity and commercial longevity and designing sustainable exploitation strategies. Some of the systems he studied included Cerro Prieto, Mexico; Heber and The Geysers, USA; Miravalles, Costa Rica; Ahuachapán and Berlín, El Salvador. Together with Paul Witherspoon, Marcelo helped lead the Mexican-American cooperative program at the Cerro Prieto geothermal field from 1977 to 1982 and was a key member of many other international geothermal research projects.

Marcelo was in charge of LBNL’s geothermal program from 1985-2000, helping establish Berkeley Lab as a world leader in geothermal research. He authored or co-authored more than 100 scientific papers and reports. While Marcelo officially “retired” from LBNL in 2005, he continued on as a rehired retiree until 2015, and remained active as a lab affiliate up until the time of his passing.

In addition to his contributions as a scientist, he selflessly devoted much of his energy to the international geothermal community, serving as an advisor and mentor. Marcelo was Associate Editor of the journal Geothermics from 1992-1995 and 2009-2010, and was Editor-In-Chief from 2004 to 2008; he continued to review articles to the very end. As an editor of Geothermics, he devoted countless hours helping authors polish their manuscripts. He worked tirelessly in his support of the Geothermal Resources Council, as a board member between 1999-2000 and from 2004-2009, and  later as a member of the Education, Honors and Awards, and International committees.

The Geothermal Resources Council recognized his extensive scientific achievements and contributions to the geothermal community in 2010 with the Joseph W. Aidlin award, the highest award bestowed by the Council. Marcelo was also given a special award by the Asociación Geotérmica Mexicana in 2015 for his many contributions to geothermal energy research in Mexico. He also served as a board member for the International Geothermal Association from 1993-1998.  Marcelo is well-known and admired throughout the global geothermal community for his generosity and willingness to help and his fostering of international collaboration. Those of us who knew him well will miss him dearly. He is survived by his wife Martha, his son Julian, his daughter-in-law Jessica Owley, and two granddaughters.

A celebration of life will be held at Live Oak Park Picnic Area #1 at 1301 Shattuck Avenue, in Berkeley on Saturday, October 13, from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Please visit the memorial page for Marcelo to share memories and pictures.

 

 

News & Events

New EESA research explores impact of land-use policy on California’s terrestrial carbon and greenhouse gas budget3 min read

January 12, 2021

The 28 million acres of natural and working lands across California provide a unique opportunity to meet greenhouse gas emission reduction goals through various land-use strategies, such as expanding urban forest areas or restoring woodlands. However, the need to mitigate wildfire severity is also a critical priority for California, and one that can increase emissions…

Impacts of Climate Change on Our Water and Energy Systems: It’s Complicated5 min read

January 11, 2021

As the planet continues to warm, the twin challenges of diminishing water supply and growing energy demand are intensifying. But because water and energy are inextricably linked, as we try to adapt to one challenge – say, by getting more water via desalination or water recycling – we may be worsening the other challenge by…

New Study: Are Drylands Getting Drier?1 min read

January 5, 2021

EESA visiting postdoctoral fellow Sha Zhou led a recent study exploring why climate models do not project drylands will become substantially drier with climate change as scientists have long believed. A paper published yesterday in the journal Nature Climate Change, “Soil moisture-atmosphere feedbacks mitigate declining water availability in drylands,” describes the importance of long-term changes…

Stunning Visuals Tell a Fluid Story of Water in the Upper Gunnison River Basin1 min read

December 23, 2020

As part of a DOE Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI), Jeremy Snyder authored “Rocky Mountain Water: The stories of Natural, Impacted, and Managed water in the Upper Gunnison River Basin”. Using the ArcGIS StoryMaps platform and stunning visuals, the story focuses on the Colorado Upper Gunnison River Basin—home to the Watershed Function SFA’s study site, the…

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