Tim Freudenthal

About

Tim Freudenthal is a leading figure in marine geotechnology and seafloor drilling, best known for his pioneering work developing the remotely operated seafloor drill rig MeBo (Meeresboden-Bohrgerät) at MARUM, University of Bremen. His research focuses on advancing robotic drilling systems for shallow, deep-sea sediment and rock coring, enabling cost-effective access to subseafloor targets up to 200 meters below the seafloor. Freudenthal’s major contributions include the design and deployment of the MeBo system and its specialized autoclave pressure vessels for in situ sampling of gas hydrates and pressurized sediments, with his most-cited paper on MeBo’s drilling cores accumulating 69 citations. He has also led innovative applications, such as a pilot project for sub-seabed basalt storage of carbon dioxide on the Reykjanes Ridge (9 citations), addressing climate change through carbon dioxide removal. With over a decade of successful operations, his work has supported geotechnical exploration, palaeoclimate studies, and slope stability research, making deep-sea drilling more accessible and efficient for the scientific community.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Drilling cores on the sea floor with the remote-controlled sea floor drilling rig MeBo

   69 citations · 2013
2. 2
   Design and deployment of autoclave pressure vessels for the portable deep-sea drill rig MeBo (<i>Meeresboden-Bohrgerät</i>)

   19 citations · 2017
3. 3
   Shallow drilling in the deep sea: The sea floor drill rig MeBo

   11 citations · 2009
4. 4
   Initial results of a pilot project for sub-seabed basalt storage of carbon dioxide on the Reykjanes Ridge

   9 citations · 2024
5. 5
   First Deployment of the Underwater Drill Rig MeBo200 in the North Sea and its Applications for the Geotechnical Exploration

   9 citations · 2015
6. 6
   The sea-floor drill rig “MeBo”: Robotic retrieval of marine sediment cores

   6 citations · 2006
7. 7
   More than ten years of successful operation of the MARUM-MeBo sea bed drilling technology: Highlights of recent scientific drilling campaigns

   2 citations · 2020

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links