Professional Experience

since 01/2019

PhD candidate, Freie Universität Berlin

04/2015 - 03/2018

Teaching assistant in the Tectonics group, Freie Universität Berlin

Education

10/2015 - 06/2018

Graduate student in Geological Sciences with focus in “Geodynamics and Geomaterials”, Freie Universität Berlin

Thesis: “Evolution of hydrous shear zones during incipient eclogitization of metastable dry and rigid lower crust – Holsnøy (Western-Norway)”
Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Timm John and Prof. Dr. Loïc Labrousse

Degree: Master of Science

10/2012 - 09/2015

Undergraduate student in Geological Sciences, Freie Universität, Berlin

Thesis: “Geologisches orogen-paralleles Profil im Übergangsbereich zwischen Dinariden und Helleniden durch das Cukali-Halbfenster, Nordalbanien; Profilschnitt: Reci – Puka”

Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Mark Handy and Dr. Jörg Giese

Degree: Bachelor of Science

Professional affiliation (Memberships, editorial services for journals etc.)

• Member of the Integrated Research Training Group (IRTG) of the CRC 1114 – „Scaling Cascades in Complex Systems“

• Deutsche Geologische Gesellschaft – Geologische Vereinigung e.V. (DGGV)

• Deutsche Mineralogische Gesellschaft (DMG)

• Ernst-Reuter-Gesellschaft (ERG)

Teaching assistant in the tectonics group at the Freie Universität Berlin

• Advanced map analysis course (Karte und Profile II, M.Sc.)
• Introduction to tectonic processes in sedimentary basins (TSB, M.Sc.)
• Introduction to microstructural and textural analysis (Fabrics and Rheology, M.Sc.)
• Introduction to tectonic processes (Tektonik II, M.Sc.)
• Map analysis course (Karte und Profile I, B.Sc.)
• Field course to introduce structural geology (Tektonik I GP, B.Sc.)
• Introductory course of structural geology (Tektonik I, B.Sc.)
• Classification and identification of rocks and rock-forming minerals (Erde I P, B.Sc.)

Current research interests

My PhD project focusses on characterizing the principle mechanisms of eclogite-facies shear zone development in lower crustal rocks. On one of the best natural large-scale laboratories to work on such structures are the dry crustal rocks on the island of Holsnøy, Bergen Arcs in western Norway. Specifically, I combine detailed field mapping with microstructural observations and link them to mineral chemical data such as water content measurements of nominally anhydrous minerals (e.g. garnet, feldspar, pyroxene). This approach allows to evaluate the effect of fluid-rock-interaction processes on eclogite-facies shear zone widening within a thermodynamically metastable and continuously deforming environment. The main goal is to build up a numerical model that describes progressive fluid influx into crustal rocks, accompanied by shear zones widening using realistic structural geometries. The resulting simulations should deliver new insights into the transient weakening process of the mid to lower crust.

This project is imbedded in an interdisciplinary network including the UNIL – Université de Lausanne, Schweiz, the Ub – University of Bern, Schweiz and the JGU – Johannes-Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, aswell as the CRC 1114 Project – „Scaling Cascades in Complex Systems“.

Current Grants

Since 04/2019:

Elsa-Neumann-scholarship of Berlin for the PhD research project, Freie Universität Berlin (DRS-NaFög)

01-03/2019: 

Short-term scholarship of the SFB "Scaling Cascades in Complex Systems"

Field expierience

07/2019

Norway - Holsnøy / 5 days

05/2019

Norway - Holsnøy, Kråkenes, Bud / 14 days

10/2016

France - Northern Corsica / 12 days

08-09/2016

Norway - Holsnøy / 32 days

04/2016

Northern Albania - near Bajram Curri / 11 days

09/2015

Germany - Fichtelgebirge / 8 days

09/2014

Germany - Hessen / 3 days

08/2014

Austria - Nockberge / 11 days

06/2014

Germany - Erzgebirge / 3 days

04/2013

Germany - Harz Mountains / 5 days

Peer-reviewed publications

Kaatz, L., Reynes, J., Hermann, J., John, T. (2022): How fluid infiltrates dry crustal rocks during progressive eclogitization
and shear zone formation: insights from H2O contents in nominally anhydrous minerals. Contrib Mineral Petrol 177, 72. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-022-01938-1

Kaatz, L., Zertani, S., Moulas, E., John, T., Labrousse, L., Schmalholz, S., Andersen, T. B. (2021): Widening of hydrous shear zones during incipient eclogitization of metastable dry and rigid lower crust – Holsnøy, Western Norway. In: Tectonics, 40, e2020TC006572.

Conference Abstacts

Moulas, E., Schmalholz, S., Kaatz, L., John, T., Andersen, T. B., & Labrousse, L. (2018): Impact of weak zone geometry on pressure variations and potential implications for variation of mineral assemblages. In EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts (Vol. 20, p. 8374).

Kaatz, L., Zertani, S., Moulas, E., John, T., Labrousse, L., Schmalholz, S., & Andersen, T. B. (2018): Evolution of hydrous shear zones during incipient eclogitization of metastable dry and rigid lower crust (Holsnøy, Western Norway). In EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts (Vol. 20, p. 8002).