Death Announcement: David Hilton has Passed Away

David Hilton, a renowned geochemist and expert in noble gas and stable isotope geochemistry, passed away on January 7 at the age of 59 after a five-year battle with cancer. Hilton was a world-travelled researcher, venturing to remote and often dangerous volcanoes, islands, and geothermal systems worldwide.

Throughout his illustrious career, Hilton's research focused on tectonics, the formation of planet Earth, and solid earth dynamics. He was most well-known for his investigations into helium and carbon characteristics in subduction zones and in mantle hotspots.

Hilton's work has been cited more than 6,000 times, a testament to its influence in the field. His research on noble gases and carbon systematics in groundwater provided crucial insights into Pleistocene-Holocene climate change, crustal and mantle fluxes of volatile gases, and the temporal and spatial variability in groundwater helium-carbon relationships at seismically-active regions.

In addition to his groundbreaking work on volcanic systems, particularly in remote and dangerous locations, Hilton's research significantly advanced our understanding of how noble gases are distributed in the Earth's interior and move between the depths of the planet and its atmosphere and hydrosphere.

One of Hilton's most significant contributions was his work in the East African Rift, where he demonstrated geochemically how a super mantle plume affects the break-up of continents. Among his most recent field projects was an exploration of the East African Rift.

Hilton served as director of the Geosciences Research Division at the University of California San Diego from 2012 to 2017. Prior to this, he was a professor at the Heinrich Heine University and University Hospital Düsseldorf.

Dave Hilton was a beloved figure in the scientific community, with numerous colleagues and students remembering him fondly for his quick wit, humorous yarns, and adventurous spirit. His passion for understanding the variability of gas compositions through time and space helped advance our understanding of how carbon moves through subduction zones and is recycled into the deep mantle.

Hilton is survived by his wife Purnama, daughter Nia, father, and two brothers. His work, with over 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals and books, will continue to shape the field of geochemistry for years to come.