Prof Jef Vandenberghe, distinguished physical geographer and Quaternary scientist and long-standing supporter of the IGU, has passed away after a career that left a deep and lasting imprint on international geography. He was for many years a Professor of Physical Geography at the Vrye Universiteit Amsterdam, where he played a central role in advancing research and teaching in geomorphology, Quaternary science, and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction.
Jef Vandenberghe was internationally recognised for his seminal contributions to the study of loess deposits, fluvial geomorphology, and periglacial environments, with particular emphasis on understanding landscape evolution in relation to past climate change. His work on the European loess belt, river terrace development, and sedimentary archives helped to clarify the links between climate variability, surface processes, and long-term environmental change, and remains foundational to Quaternary research today. His scholarship was characterised by methodological rigour, careful field observation, and an ability to integrate geomorphological evidence with broader Earth system perspectives.
Beyond his research achievements, Jef Vandenberghe made an outstanding contribution to the IGU, through which he played a pivotal role in strengthening the visibility and coherence of physical geography within the global geographical community. He served for many years as Chair of the IGU Commission on Loess, later known as the Commission on Loess, Palaeosols and Global Change, and as Chair of the IGU Commission on Climatic Changes and Periglacial Environments (later Cold and High Altitude Regions). In this capacity, he was instrumental in fostering international collaboration, organising scientific sessions, workshops, and field meetings across Europe and Asia, and supporting the participation and development of early-career researchers. His leadership helped ensure that physical geography occupied a prominent and integrative position within IGU scientific activities.
Jef Vandenberghe was also deeply engaged in scholarly service beyond the IGU. He served on the editorial boards of several leading international journals in geomorphology and Quaternary science, where he was widely respected for his thoughtful, constructive, and exacting approach to peer review. Through this work, he helped shape the quality and direction of research in his field over many decades. As a mentor and collaborator, he was generous with his time, intellectually open, and committed to rigorous scientific debate.
Colleagues around the world will remember Jef not only for his scientific authority, but also for his collegiality, integrity, and enduring commitment to internationalism in science. His contributions to physical geography, to the IGU, and to the wider Quaternary research community constitute a lasting legacy. He will be greatly missed.
