De Marsily, Ghislain

Photograph

Dates

Ghislain de Marsily (Mars d'Auge, Provence, France 1939 -Paris, France, 2024)

Biography

From the Obituary prepared for the National Academy of Engineering by Steven M. Gorelick and Craig Simmons [1]

GHISLAIN DE MARSILY, a legendary figure at Paris VI, died April 21, 2024. Ghislain was renowned for his seminal contributions to the field of stochastic hydrogeology and for his work as a prominent and persuasive advocate of holistic, equitable, science-driven water management. In addition to his substantial scientific legacy, he is survived by his wife of more than 60 years, Gunilla; their three children, Anne, Antoine, and Amélie; and three grandchildren.

Born in Mas d’Auge, Provence, to Belgian émigré parents on Oct. 18, 1939, Ghislain contracted polio as a child – an experience that shaped him into the strong, compassionate, and tenacious man he became. At 20, he left the south to study in Paris at the École des Mines, graduating in 1963 as a civil mining engineer. He married his love, Gunilla Svensson, in Sweden shortly thereafter. A period with a public works company followed, as he earned an additional qualification as a geological engineer in 1967. But his curiosity to understand more about the world remained unsatisfied, and he returned to academia to pursue what would become a lifelong relationship with research.

His first internationally significant paper was published in Water Resources Research in 1971. Professional recognition and leadership roles followed quickly. In 1973, he was appointed director of the Centre d'Informatique Géologique at the École des Mines, and during his tenure there completed his Ph.D. at the University of Pierre and Marie Curie (also known as Paris VI) in 1978.

In 1985, Ghislain was appointed professor of geology at Paris VI. This marked the beginning of a new phase in his career, with appointments to a range of governance and management roles that combined his love of research with his strengths as a broad thinker and skilled communicator. These included serving as director of the Applied Geology Laboratory (1987-2004), foundation director of UMR CNRS SISYPHE (1989-2000), and director of the Geosciences and Natural Resources Doctoral School (2000-04).

Ghislain stands as a pillar in the academic community, a legacy reflected in the many honors recognizing his contributions. He was elected to the French Academy of Sciences in 1997 and appointed to its Sciences of the Universe section in 2003. He became an international member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering in 1999 and was named a fellow of the American Geophysical Union in 1989. His honors include the Prix Roubault de l'Union Française des Géologues (2000), the Prix de l'IFP de l'Académie des Sciences (2001), the O.E. Meinzer Award of the Geological Society of America (2004), the Robert E. Horton Award of the American Geophysical Union (1994), the Presidents’ Award from the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) (2010), and the Castany’s Award from the IAH French Chapter. He received honorary doctorates from universities in Canada, Switzerland, and Australia, was a founding fellow of the French Academy of Technology, and worked regularly with the United Nations.

His impact was significant and sustained. Ghislain traveled the world giving lectures and collaborating with colleagues at universities across continents. He spoke widely – and published broadly – on the urgent need to understand water resources and control their exploitation to ensure an equitable and livable planet. Climate change, population growth, and increasing resource contamination have only amplified the importance of his message.

Despite his academic reach, he never shed his engineering mindset. Ghislain resisted the temptation to focus purely on theory and consistently pursued practical applications for his methods. This grounded perspective led him to collaborate with industry partners on water quality issues and support governments, community, and advocacy groups – including during the environmental impact discussions surrounding the proposed airport at Notre-Dame-des-Landes – ensuring access to the best science for sound decision-making. He believed science should be accessible, timely, and relevant, and he led by example. He was particularly proud of his popular book L’eau (Water) (Flammarion, 2002), which explained the basic concepts of the hydrologic cycle and how it sustains a precious ecosystem, while also warning that human development can significantly alter its natural rhythms.

His scientific contributions informed public debates on nuclear waste disposal and continue to support our understanding of the movement of contaminants and other solutes in a wide range of groundwater environments. Ghislain’s ideas – such as hydrogeological national parks, the productive use of predictive models, and the importance of sharing scientific data and ensuring equitable access to resources – remain deeply relevant today. For this and other services to France, academia, and science, Ghislain received numerous national distinctions, including the Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur, the Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Mérite, the Chevalier des Palmes académiques, and the Chevalier du Mérite agricole. The diversity of these honors reflects the breadth of his interests, the extraordinary impact of his work, and the depth of his commitment to improving the world.

Ghislain’s legacy is one of technical mastery combined with intellectual curiosity and unwavering integrity. Never one to avoid controversial or complex issues, he was frequently called upon by the French Government, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United Nations, and numerous international agencies for scientific guidance and policy advice. He served as a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) review team for the Mururoa-Fangataufa French nuclear tests in the mid- to late 1990s. He also advised the French Government on industrial waste storage in Montchanin, and he spent more than a decade serving on the legally mandated commission overseeing the governance of radioactive waste disposal. Ghislain worked with international energy agencies and the OECD to explore seabed storage of radioactive materials and was appointed by the U.S. Department of Energy to advise the Yucca Mountain Project. In a principled act, he resigned from the project on March 19, 2003 – the day when the U.S. military invaded Iraq.

He was known for his humanity. A passionate advocate – and committed practitioner – of equity in action, he gave, shared, and promoted opportunities, connection, and access to knowledge. Many remember stories that capture his extraordinary character, curiosity, and zest for life: midnight car rides, an American motorcycle, biking through Paris in all weather, snorkeling in Mururoa, and his ever-expanding personal library.

Ghislain will be remembered with love and admiration. He believed in the importance of diversity, and he lived by his convictions. He was present for his students, attentive to his colleagues, and impossibly generous to his friends. A true gentleman scientist, he built a vast global network of collaborators, colleagues, and friends, a testament to his positive spirit and his belief in learning from everyone who shared his enthusiasm and wide-ranging interests.

Hydrological Achievements

Ghislain became an internationally renowned scholar. His teaching and research were characterized by the application of geology, engineering, mathematics, and unrelenting curiosity to understanding the movement of water underground. His research spanned hydrogeology, watershed management, sedimentary basin modelling, fractured rock hydrology, the transport of heat and contaminants in porous and fractured media, and waste disposal. His pioneering work on inverse methods and stochastic hydrogeology helped shape the discipline of environmental modeling, far beyond its early use in hydrogeology.

His influence continues to reverberate. His 1980 paper with Georges Matheron remains one of the most highly cited publications in hydrogeology, and the field of geostatistics owes an incalculable debt to his conceptual innovation and mathematical precision.

Widely described as energetic, inspirational, and provocative, Ghislain’s lectures and conference presentations grew in popularity as his career progressed. Returning to teach as an emeritus professor in his later years, he became a much-admired figure whose lectures were the stuff of legend. His commitment to making groundwater science accessible to students across engineering, science, and mathematics backgrounds is best exemplified by his textbook Quantitative Hydrogeology: Groundwater Hydrology for Engineers (Academic Press, 1986). Many of his students went on to become academics or engineers, and it is through them that his passion for clear communication, intellectual pursuits, and academic rigor continues to live on.

Reference Material

Ghislain de Marsily was one of a handful of eminent hydrogeologists interviewed for the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) Hydrogeologist Timecapsule Project. Recorded in July 2019, the interview is available to watch here: https://timecapsule.iah.org/person/ghislain-de-marsily/.

A special edition of the French Academy of Sciences’ Comptes Rendus: Geosciences ‘In honour of Ghislain de Marsily’ was published in 2023. It discusses the impact of de Marsily’s work and explores the future his research has enabled. It is available here: https://comptes-rendus.academie-sciences.fr/geoscience/item/CRGEOS_2023__355_S1/.

Ghislain de Marsily’s CV for the French Academy of Sciences is online at https://www.academie-sciences.fr/pdf/membre/MarsilyG_bio300311.pdf.

Ghislain de Marsily’s Biography is available at: Simmons CT. 2021. Marsily, Ghislain de. In: Daya Sagar B., Cheng Q., McKinley J., Agterberg F., eds. Encyclopedia of Mathematical Geosciences. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham.

Selected Publications

Books

De Marsily, G., 1986. Quantitative hydrogeology. Paris School of Mines, Fontainebleau.

De Marsily, G., 2006. Les eaux continentales. EDP Science.

Bear, J., Tsang, C.F. and De Marsily, G., 2012. Flow and contaminant transport in fractured rock. Academic Press.

Articles

Emsellem, Y. and De Marsily, G., 1971. An automatic solution for the inverse problem. Water Resources Research, 7(5), pp.1264-1283.

De Marsily, G., Ledoux, E., Barbreau, A. and Margat, J., 1977. Nuclear Waste Disposal: Can the Geologist Guarantee Isolation? Parameters governing possible mechanisms of migration of radionuclides in geologic formations are discussed. Science, 197(4303), pp.519-527.

Matheron, G. and De Marsily, G., 1980. Is transport in porous media always diffusive? A counterexample. Water resources research, 16(5), pp.901-917.

De Marsily, G., 1984. Spatial variability of properties in porous media: a stochastic approach. In Fundamentals of transport phenomena in porous media (pp. 719-769). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands.

Besbes, M. and De Marsily, G., 1984. From infiltration to recharge: use of a parametric transfer function. Journal of Hydrology, 74(3-4), pp.271-293.

Ahmed, S. and De Marsily, G., 1987. Comparison of geostatistical methods for estimating transmissivity using data on transmissivity and specific capacity. Water resources research, 23(9), pp.1717-1737.

Ledoux, E., Girard, G., De Marsily, G., Villeneuve, J.P. and Deschenes, J., 1989. Spatially distributed modeling: conceptual approach, coupling surface water and groundwater. In Unsaturated flow in hydrologic modeling: Theory and practice (pp. 435-454). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands.

Cacas, M.C., Ledoux, E., de Marsily, G., Tillie, B., Barbreau, A., Durand, E., Feuga, B. and Peaudecerf, P., 1990. Modeling fracture flow with a stochastic discrete fracture network: calibration and validation: 1. The flow model. Water Resources Research, 26(3), pp.479-489.

Certes, C. and de Marsily, G., 1991. Application of the pilot point method to the identification of aquifer transmissivities. Advances in Water Resources, 14(5), pp.284-300.

De Marsily, G., 1994. Quelques réflexions sur l'utilisation des modèles en hydrologie.[Tribune libre]. Revue des Sciences de l'Eau, 7(3), pp.219-234.

RamaRao, B.S., LaVenue, A.M., De Marsily, G. and Marietta, M.G., 1995. Pilot point methodology for automated calibration of an ensemble of conditionally simulated transmissivity fields: 1. Theory and computational experiments. Water Resources Research, 31(3), pp.475-493.

LaVenue, A.M., RamaRao, B.S., De Marsily, G. and Marietta, M.G., 1995. Pilot point methodology for automated calibration of an ensemble of conditionally simulated transmissivity fields: 2. Application. Water Resources Research, 31(3), pp.495-516.

Perrier, E., Rieu, M., Sposito, G. and de Marsily, G., 1996. Models of the water retention curve for soils with a fractal pore size distribution. Water Resources Research, 32(10), pp.3025-3031.

Renard, P. and De Marsily, G., 1997. Calculating equivalent permeability: a review. Advances in water resources, 20(5-6), pp.253-278.

Zimmerman, D.A., De Marsily, G., Gotway, C.A., Marietta, M.G., Axness, C.L., Beauheim, R.L., Bras, R.L., Carrera, J., Dagan, G., Davies, P.B. and Gallegos, D.P., 1998. A comparison of seven geostatistically based inverse approaches to estimate transmissivities for modeling advective transport by groundwater flow. Water Resources Research, 34(6), pp.1373-1413.

Castro, M.C., Goblet, P., Ledoux, E., Violette, S. and de Marsily, G., 1998. Noble gases as natural tracers of water circulation in the Paris Basin: 2. Calibration of a groundwater flow model using noble gas isotope data. Water Resources Research, 34(10), pp.2467-2483.

de Marsily, G., Delhomme, J.P., Delay, F. and Buoro, A., 1999. Regards sur 40 ans de problèmes inverses en hydrogéologie. Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences-Series IIA-Earth and Planetary Science, 329(2), pp.73-87.

Cosenza, P., Ghoreychi, M., Bazargan-Sabet, B. and De Marsily, G., 1999. In situ rock salt permeability measurement for long term safety assessment of storage. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 36(4), pp.509-526.

Leach, D.L., Bradley, D., Lewchuk, M.T., Symons, D.T., de Marsily, G. and Brannon, J., 2001. Mississippi Valley-type lead–zinc deposits through geological time: implications from recent age-dating research. Mineralium Deposita, 36(8), pp.711-740.

Conan, C., Bouraoui, F., Turpin, N., de Marsily, G. and Bidoglio, G., 2003. Modeling flow and nitrate fate at catchment scale in Brittany (France). Journal of Environmental Quality, 32(6), pp.2026-2032.

Besbes, M., Abdous, B., Abidi, B., Ayed, A., Bachta, M., Babasy, M., Ben Baccar, B., El Batti, D., Ben Salah, Y., Biet Charreton, M. and Biout, F., 2003. Système Aquifère du Sahara septentrional Gestion commune d'un bassin transfrontière. La Houille Blanche, 89(5), pp.128-133.

Bodin, J., Delay, F. and de Marsily, G., 2003. Solute transport in a single fracture with negligible matrix permeability: 1. fundamental mechanisms. Hydrogeology journal, 11(4), pp.418-433.

De Marsily, G., Delay, F., Gonçalvès, J., Renard, P., Teles, V. and Violette, S., 2005. Dealing with spatial heterogeneity. Hydrogeology journal, 13(1), pp.161-183.

Fleury, P., Bakalowicz, M. and De Marsily, G., 2007. Submarine springs and coastal karst aquifers: a review. Journal of hydrology, 339(1-2), pp.79-92.

Youmbi, J.G.T., Feumba, R., Njitat, V.T., de Marsily, G. and Ekodeck, G.E., 2013. Pollution de l’eau souterraine et risques sanitaires à Yaoundé au Cameroun. Comptes Rendus Biologies, 336(5-6), pp.310-316.

De Marsily, G. and Besbes, M., 2017. Les eaux souterraines. In Annales des Mines-Responsabilité & environnement (Vol. 86, No. 2, pp. 25-30). Institut Mines-Télécom.