Dr. Ben Holtzman

Biography

Ben Holtzman is a Lamont Research Professor at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, part of the Earth Institute at Columbia University in New York. His research focuses on the mechanical behavior of rocks and its implications in a variety of applications, including how magmas move within the planet's interior, which feeds volcanoes, as well as the propagation of seismic waves through the deep Earth, leading to an understanding of earthquakes. He works on projects like 'deep geothermal heat mining', which aim to find innovative methods to access the Earth's internal heat to generate electricity while minimizing greenhouse gas emissions. Holtzman is also the founder of the Seismic Sound Lab and has served as a Scientist-in-Residence at the Computer Music Center at Columbia University. He obtained his Ph.D. in Geophysics from the University of Minnesota and has been with Lamont since 2004.

Research Interests