World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
R. S. W. van de Wal

R. S. W. van de Wal

D-Index & Metrics

Earth Science

D-Index
72
Citations
21660
World Ranking
838
National Ranking
25

R. S. W. van de Wal publication distribution in Earth Science in 2026

The chart shows the distribution of publications by all Research.com ranked scientists in the field of Earth Science in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where R. S. W. van de Wal sits on this spectrum.

38–47 publications: 5 scientists 48–57 publications: 33 scientists 58–67 publications: 94 scientists 68–77 publications: 161 scientists 78–87 publications: 278 scientists 88–97 publications: 376 scientists 98–107 publications: 404 scientists 108–117 publications: 484 scientists 118–127 publications: 540 scientists 128–137 publications: 557 scientists 138–147 publications: 491 scientists 148–157 publications: 495 scientists 158–167 publications: 458 scientists 168–177 publications: 490 scientists 178–187 publications: 414 scientists 188–197 publications: 401 scientists 198–207 publications: 333 scientists 208–217 publications: 292 scientists 218–227 publications: 290 scientists 228–237 publications: 262 scientists 238–247 publications: 243 scientists 248–257 publications: 208 scientists 258–267 publications: 185 scientists 268–277 publications: 147 scientists 278–287 publications: 128 scientists 288–297 publications: 119 scientists 298–307 publications: 120 scientists 308–317 publications: 107 scientists 318–327 publications: 93 scientists 328–337 publications: 87 scientists 338–347 publications: 64 scientists 348–357 publications: 87 scientists 358–367 publications: 60 scientists 368–377 publications: 60 scientists 378–387 publications: 34 scientists 388–397 publications: 50 scientists 398–407 publications: 44 scientists 408–417 publications: 31 scientists 418–427 publications: 39 scientists 428–437 publications: 27 scientists 438–447 publications: 36 scientists 448–457 publications: 27 scientists 458–467 publications: 29 scientists 468–477 publications: 30 scientists 478–487 publications: 19 scientists 488–497 publications: 15 scientists 498–507 publications: 18 scientists 508–517 publications: 19 scientists 518–527 publications: 16 scientists 528–537 publications: 10 scientists 538–547 publications: 11 scientists 548–557 publications: 14 scientists 558–567 publications: 11 scientists 568–577 publications: 7 scientists 578–587 publications: 14 scientists 588–597 publications: 5 scientists 598–602 publications: 4 scientists 603+ publications: 100 scientists
38 publications 603+

This scientist: 250 publications — 78th percentile

78% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 603 publications or more.

R. S. W. van de Wal D-index placement in Earth Science in 2026

The chart shows the D-index (discipline H-index) distribution of Earth Science scientists ranked by Research.com in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where R. S. W. van de Wal sits on this spectrum.

30 D-Index: 144 scientists 31 D-Index: 215 scientists 32 D-Index: 278 scientists 33 D-Index: 379 scientists 34 D-Index: 366 scientists 35 D-Index: 372 scientists 36 D-Index: 389 scientists 37 D-Index: 366 scientists 38 D-Index: 344 scientists 39 D-Index: 349 scientists 40 D-Index: 296 scientists 41 D-Index: 289 scientists 42 D-Index: 277 scientists 43 D-Index: 279 scientists 44 D-Index: 248 scientists 45 D-Index: 257 scientists 46 D-Index: 212 scientists 47 D-Index: 202 scientists 48 D-Index: 207 scientists 49 D-Index: 204 scientists 50 D-Index: 183 scientists 51 D-Index: 178 scientists 52 D-Index: 182 scientists 53 D-Index: 178 scientists 54 D-Index: 163 scientists 55 D-Index: 117 scientists 56 D-Index: 163 scientists 57 D-Index: 120 scientists 58 D-Index: 113 scientists 59 D-Index: 136 scientists 60 D-Index: 135 scientists 61 D-Index: 96 scientists 62 D-Index: 103 scientists 63 D-Index: 83 scientists 64 D-Index: 103 scientists 65 D-Index: 83 scientists 66 D-Index: 89 scientists 67 D-Index: 92 scientists 68 D-Index: 89 scientists 69 D-Index: 78 scientists 70 D-Index: 75 scientists 71 D-Index: 53 scientists 72 D-Index: 62 scientists 73 D-Index: 54 scientists 74 D-Index: 35 scientists 75 D-Index: 52 scientists 76 D-Index: 50 scientists 77 D-Index: 32 scientists 78 D-Index: 37 scientists 79 D-Index: 20 scientists 80 D-Index: 33 scientists 81 D-Index: 36 scientists 82 D-Index: 34 scientists 83 D-Index: 34 scientists 84 D-Index: 24 scientists 85 D-Index: 19 scientists 86 D-Index: 18 scientists 87 D-Index: 26 scientists 88 D-Index: 30 scientists 89 D-Index: 17 scientists 90 D-Index: 21 scientists 91 D-Index: 19 scientists 92 D-Index: 15 scientists 93 D-Index: 14 scientists 94 D-Index: 20 scientists 95 D-Index: 9 scientists 96 D-Index: 10 scientists 97 D-Index: 15 scientists 98 D-Index: 13 scientists 99 D-Index: 3 scientists 100 D-Index: 13 scientists 101 D-Index: 3 scientists 102 D-Index: 9 scientists 103 D-Index: 4 scientists 104 D-Index: 6 scientists 105 D-Index: 6 scientists 106+ D-Index: 98 scientists
30 D-Index 106+

This scientist: 72 D-Index — 91st percentile

91% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 106 D-Index or more.

Overview

R. S. W. van de Wal is affiliated with Utrecht University in the Netherlands and has an extensive research record in Earth and Planetary Sciences as well as Environmental Science. Their work focuses primarily on atmospheric science and global and planetary change, with key interests in cryospheric studies, geological and paleoclimatological research, and climate variability and models.

Their research covers a broad range of topics including:

  • Cryospheric studies and observations
  • Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
  • Climate variability and models
  • Climate change and permafrost
  • Arctic and Antarctic ice dynamics
  • Geophysics and Gravity Measurements
  • Winter Sports Injuries and Performance

Van de Wal has contributed to multiple recent papers addressing the dynamics of ice sheets and sea-level rise, including:

  • Projected land ice contributions to twenty-first-century sea level rise, 2021, Nature
  • ISMIP6 Antarctica: a multi-model ensemble of the Antarctic ice sheet evolution over the 21st century, 2020, The Cryosphere
  • The future sea-level contribution of the Greenland ice sheet: a multi-model ensemble study of ISMIP6, 2020, The Cryosphere
  • Antarctic ice sheet response to sudden and sustained ice-shelf collapse (ABUMIP), 2020, Journal of Glaciology
  • GrSMBMIP: intercomparison of the modelled 1980-2012 surface mass balance over the Greenland Ice Sheet, 2020, The Cryosphere

Their frequent collaborators include:

  • Heiko Goelzer
  • Constantijn J. Berends
  • William H. Lipscomb
  • Hélène Seroussi
  • Gunter Leguy

Van de Wal has published notably in venues such as:

  • Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
  • The Cryosphere
  • Earth's Future
  • Climate of the Past
  • Geoscientific Model Development

The scientist's work spans numerous subfields including atmospheric science, global and planetary change, and oceanography, supporting an interdisciplinary approach to Earth system and climate research. Their research contributes to understanding the interplay between ice sheet dynamics and climate, which is crucial in projecting future sea-level changes and environmental evolution.

Best Publications

  • Eight glacial cycles from an Antarctic ice core

    Laurent Augustin;Carlo Barbante;Piers R. F. Barnes;Jean Marc Barnola

  • One-to-one coupling of glacial climate variability in Greenland and Antarctica.

    C. Barbante;J.-M. Barnola;J.-M. Barnola;S. Becagli;J. Beer;J. Beer

  • Eemian interglacial reconstructed from a Greenland folded ice core

    D. Dahl-Jensen;M. R. Albert;A. Aldahan;N. Azuma

  • North American ice-sheet dynamics and the onset of 100,000-year glacial cycles

    R. Bintanja;R. Bintanja;R. S. W. van de Wal

  • Projected land ice contributions to twenty-first-century sea level rise

    Tamsin L Edwards;Sophie Nowicki;Sophie Nowicki;Ben Marzeion;Regine Hock;Regine Hock

  • Projecting twenty-first century regional sea-level changes

    A.B.A. Slangen;A.B.A. Slangen;Mark Carson;C.A. Katsman;R.S.W. van de Wal

  • Modelling the response of glaciers to climate warming

    J. Oerlemans;B. Anderson;A. Hubbard;Philippe Huybrechts

  • A Review of Antarctic Surface Snow Isotopic Composition : Observations, Atmospheric Circulation, and Isotopic Modeling

    V. Masson-Delmotte;S. Hou;A. Ekaykin;J. Jouzel

  • ISMIP6 Antarctica: a multi-model ensemble of the Antarctic ice sheet evolution over the 21st century

    Hélène Seroussi;Sophie Nowicki;Antony J. Payne;Heiko Goelzer;Heiko Goelzer

  • Large and Rapid Melt-Induced Velocity Changes in the Ablation Zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet

    R. S. W. van de Wal;W. Boot;M. R. van den Broeke;C. J. P. P. Smeets

  • Making sense of palaeoclimate sensitivity

    E.J. Rohling;A. Sluijs;H.A. Dijkstra;P. Köhler

  • STATE OF THE CLIMATE IN 2017

    R. Abernethy;Steven A. Ackerman;R. Adler;Adelina Albanil Encarnación

  • State of the Climate in 2014

    Arlene P. Aaron-Morrison;Steven A. Ackerman;Nicolaus G. Adams;Robert F. Adler

  • Towards regional projections of twenty-first century sea-level change based on IPCC SRES scenarios

    A. B. A. Slangen;C. A. Katsman;R. S. W. van de Wal;L. L. A. Vermeersen

  • The role of albedo and accumulation in the 2010 melting record in Greenland

    M. Tedesco;X. Fettweis;X. Fettweis;M.R. van den Broeke;R.S.W. van de Wal

  • Radiocarbon analyses along the EDML ice core in Antarctica

    R. S. W. Van de Wal;Harro Meijer;de Marietta Rooij;C. Van der Veen

  • Twentieth-century global-mean sea-level rise: is the whole greater than the sum of the parts?

    Jonathan M Gregory;N. J. White;J. A. Church;M. F. P. Bierkens

  • Making sense of palaeoclimate sensitivity

    E. J. Rohling;A. Sluijs;H. A. Dijkstra;P. Köhler

  • Exploring high-end scenarios for local sea level rise to develop flood protection strategies for a low-lying delta—the Netherlands as an example

    Caroline A. Katsman;A. Sterl;J. J. Beersma;H. W. van den Brink

  • Antarctic ice sheet response to sudden and sustained ice-shelf collapse (ABUMIP)

    Sainan Sun;Frank Pattyn;Erika G. Simon;Torsten Albrecht

  • State of the Climate in 2016

    Arlene P. Aaron-Morrison;Steven A. Ackerman;Nicolaus G. Adams;Robert F. Adler

Frequent Co-Authors

Johannes Oerlemans
Johannes Oerlemans Utrecht University
Marco Tedesco
Marco Tedesco Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Xavier Fettweis
Xavier Fettweis University of Liège
Elisabeth Isaksson
Elisabeth Isaksson Norwegian Polar Institute
Peter Köhler
Peter Köhler Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research
Richard Bintanja
Richard Bintanja University of Groningen
C. J. van der Veen
C. J. van der Veen University of Kansas
Thomas L. Mote
Thomas L. Mote University of Georgia
Harro A. J. Meijer
Harro A. J. Meijer University of Groningen
Veijo A. Pohjola
Veijo A. Pohjola Uppsala University

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Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

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