Born 12 January 1955, in Lyon, France
Married, 4 children. French citizenship
Education
Baccalauréat, June 1972 in Lyon
Maîtrise ès Sciences physiques de la Terre, University Paris 7, June 1976
Diploma “Géologie des zones profondes”, Universities Paris 6/7, June 1977
Doctorat de 3ème cycle, “Pétrologie”, University Paris 6, March 1979 : “De la Vanoise au massif du Grand Paradis : une approche pétrographique et radiochronologique de la signification géodynamique du métamorphisme de haute pression”.
Doctorat d’état, ès sciences, University Paris 6, March 1985 : “Les relations de phases à haute pression dans les roches pélitiques. Approche expérimentale et naturaliste. Conséquences géodynamiques pour les Alpes occidentales”.
Positions
1974-1978: ‘Student’ at Ecole normale supérieure (Paris, France).
1979-1981: Post-doctoral D.A.A.D. fellow, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany.
1981-1990: Research associate of the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS), at the Laboratoire de Géologie, Ecole normale supérieure (ENS), Paris.
1990-2002: Directeur de recherche CNRS (2nd class), at ENS Paris.
2002-2021: Directeur de recherche CNRS (1st class), at ENS Paris; emeritus from 2021.
Distinctions
1986: V.M. Goldschmidt Prize, Deutsche Mineralogische Gesellschaft.
1987: CNRS bronze Medal.
1993: Van den Broeck Medal, the Belgian Geological Society.
1994: Buttgenbach Prize, the Royal Academy of Belgium.
1994: Fellowship, the Mineralogical Society of America.
1995: Medal for Research Excellence, the European Mineralogical Union.
2005: Member of the Leopoldina, German Academy of Sciences.
2007: „Chopinite”, Mg3(PO4)2, a new mineral dedicated by E.S. Grew et al. (EJM, 19, 229-245).
2012: Member of Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Rome.
2019: Member of Accademia delle Scienze di Torino.
2022: SFMC Merit Award, Société française de Minéralogie et de Cristallographie.
Some functions
1988 to 2000: chief editor of European Journal of Mineralogy.
2001 to 2018: managing editor of European Journal of Mineralogy.
1991-1994: scientific committee, 16th IMA general assembly (Pisa, Italy, Sept. 1994).
1997: evaluation committee, Geoforschungszentrum (GFZ) Potsdam, Germany.
2002-2010: selection committee for the European Mineralogical Union (EMU) “Medal for Research Excellence”.
2008-2010: selection committee for the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) Medal
2004-2011: vice-president of the European Mineralogical Union (EMU)
2008-2011: vice-president of the Société française de Minéralogie et de Cristallographie
2006-2013: director of the Laboratoire de Géologie de l’ENS (CNRS UMR 8538), Paris.
2016-2024: treasurer of the Société française de Minéralogie et de Cristallographie.
Main scientific interests:
Mineralogy, metamorphic petrology, high- and ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism, continental subduction, experimental petrology, crystal chemistry of rock-forming minerals.
Christian Chopin is a French petrologist. He investigates metamorphic rocks and played a key role in establishing the field of ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism. He demonstrated the presence of the mineral coesite, a high-pressure silica phase, in the Western Alps and thus provided evidence that continental crust can be subducted, to depths exceeding 100 km. He contributed a dozen new mineral species, mainly phosphates and high-pressure silicates.