Employment

present - Okt. 2019	Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany Postdoctoral Research Scientist Department of Geological Sciences Interactions between climate, erosion, and sediment transport (terrestrial to marine) Field study area is Sumatra, Indonesia
Sept. 2019 - Feb. 2018	Universität Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany Postdoctoral Research Scientist Institut für Erd- und Umweltwissenschaften, Investigation of biosphere, climate, paleohydrology, and Asian Monsoons Field studies near Xining, China
Feb. 2018 - Feb. 2016	Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA Postdoctoral Research Scientist College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences Interactions between climate, erosion, hydrology, and fluvial processes Field study area is Eastern Tibet, China
Jan. 2016 - Jul. 2015	Universität Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany Postdoctoral Research Scientist Institut für Erd- und Umweltwissenschaften Investigation of biosphere, climate, paleohydrology, and tectonics Field studies near Salta, Argentina

Education
Jun. 2015	Universität Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany Dr. rerum naturalium, Geology Dissertation title: The Role of Wind and Water in Shaping Earth’s Plateaus Advisor: Prof. Manfred Strecker Area of Study: Biogeochemistry, hydrology, stable isotopes, tectonics
May 2009	University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA M.Sc., Geology Thesis title: Minimal Erosion in Central Tibet since the Eocene and Implications for Plateau Development Advisor: Prof. Paul Kapp Area of Study: Surface processes, thermochronolgy, tectonics

Awards and fellowships

• Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship – for highly qualified scientists and scholars from Germany, who just embark on their academic careers, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. 

• American Geophysical Union Outstanding Student Paper Award, Earth and Planetary Surface Processes, for Stream-water stable isotopes, moisture fluxes, complex topography and isotopic fractionation along the South Central Andes, Fall Meeting, 2012.

• Bernd Rendel Price – highest German award for young professional geoscientists, German Science Foundation. 

• Cover story of May’s GSA Today edition: Wind erosion in the Qaidam basin, central Asia: Implication for tectonic, paleoclimate, and the source of the Loess Plateau. 

• Recipient of the first Farouk El-Baz Research Award – for outstanding research in arid environments and to encourage and promote desert research, Geological Society of America.

Lectures and field trips, Freie Universität Berlin

term SS 2020, WS 2023	Introduction to spatial data analysis with Matlab and ArcGIS
term SS 2021, 2022, 2023	GP1: Introductory field course: Harz Mountains
term SS 2021, 2022	GP3: Sedimentary field course: North Hesse
term WS 2021	Tectonics Sedimentary Basins
term WS 2020	Introduction to Earth Science (Erde I)

Lectures and field trips, Universität Potsdam

term WS 2018	Geodynamics, Climate & Biodiversity
term SS 2012	Introduction to Structural Geology, Field Trip: Rhinegraben, Jura and Swiss Alps
term WS 2011/12	"A systems approach to Earth Science” for Master students in Geogovernance, in collaboration with the Department of Political Sciences, Universität Potsdam
term SS 2011	Introductory structural mapping in southern France Introduction to Structural Geology, Field Trip: Rhinegraben, Jura and Swiss Alps
term WS 2010/11	Geoscience Seminar II: “Climate, Tectonics and Sedimentology"
term SS 2010	Introductory structural mapping in southern France
term WS 2009/10	Advanced structural mapping in the Pyrenees, Spain

Lectures, Oregon State University

term WS 2016/17

Guest lecturer in “Tectonic Geomorphology”

Teaching assistant, University of Arizona

term fall 2008

Introduction to Stratigraphy and Sedimentology

Lipid Biomarkers | Tectonics | Geochronology | Stable Isotopes | Surface Processes | Terrestrial Sedimentology | Tectonic Geomorphology

Integrated evolution of surface processes, rivers and lakes, tectonic, and climate. Landscape, vegetation and hydrologic change in response to tectonic or climate induced processes. Biogeochemistry and stable isotopes. Satellite data.

My interest focuses on the complex feedbacks between tectonic, surface and climate processes. I take a field-based approach that entails geological mapping, structural and basin analysis, geochemistry combined with thermochronology, and cosmogenic nuclide dating to solve different aspects of spatiotemporal patterns of surface processes, vegetation and their tectonic and/or climatic forcing mechanisms.

Aims of my research efforts to date include: (1) present and past transport of sediment, pollutants, nutrients and organic carbon from the continent to oceanic sinks and its response to short and long-term events, (2) quantifying the dynamic relationships between tectonics and climate with respect to the development of mountain belts, plateaus and biodiversity, (3) deciphering process rates at a variety of time scales to better understand the discrepancies between long-term (i.e., geological) and short-term process rates of deformation, erosion and hydrology, (4) understanding the effect of drainage basin fluctuations on the evolution of fluvial networks, (5) determine the rates of wind erosion processes and deflation, (6) the tectonic and climate evolution of Asia and South America.

Most recently, I investigate the onset of early monsoonal conditions in East Asia and related eco-hydrological changes during the Eocene-Oligocene transition in central Asia. At the moment I investigate the response of the Tropics (Sumatra) over the Holocene to surface process changes and transport of organic material to the deep sea. In the future I hope to investigate more deeply terrestrial archives that hold valuable information of past tectonic activity, and its forcing of climatic and paleohydrologic conditions.

 

Analytical skills

Check out my newly established biomarker lab at the Freie Universität Berlin.

Compound-specific stable	Leaf wax n-alkanes ∂D and ∂13C isotope analysis isotope analysis
Water stable isotope analysis	∂D and ∂18O of meteoric water
(U-Th)/He low temperature	Apatite and Zircon (U-Th)/He dating thermochronology
Tectonics	Tectonic and structural analysis
Quantification of erosion	In-situ and meteoric cosmogenic nuclides (10Be)
Geospatial and satellite data	Geographic information systems (GIS) and Mathlab
Geomorphologic analysis	Quantification of river networks (Topotoolbox)
Computing	MATLAB; ARC and GRASSGIS; TOPOTOOLBOX, pyBadlands. Model coupling, including GIS interfaces.  Familiarity with a wide swath of surface-process modeling software and general-purpose open-source software.
Fieldgeology	Topographic mapping:streamcross-sections, profiles, and terraces. Structural and stratigraphic geologic mapping and hand sample identification. Familiarity with geomorphic, stratigraphic, and structural field methods in a variety of environments.
Chemistry	Isotope-ratio mass spectrometry, gas chromatography and wet chemistry analytics.

Peer-reviewed papers:

 2023

Pingel, H., Alonso, R.N., Bookhagen, B., Cottle, J., Mulch, A., Rohrmann, A., Strecker, M.R. (in press). Miocene surface uplift and orogenic evolution of the southern Andean Plateau (central Puna), northwestern Argentina. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Rohrmann, A., Kirby, E. and Schwanghart, W., (2023). Accelerated Miocene incision along the Yangtze River driven by headward drainage basin expansion. Science Advances, 9(36), p.eadh1636. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh1636

Meijer, N., Dupont‐Nivet, G., Licht, A., Roperch, P., Rohrmann, A., Sun, A., Lu, S., Woutersen, A. and Nowaczyk, N., (2023). Early Eocene magnetostratigraphy and tectonic evolution of the Xining Basin, NE Tibet. Basin Research, 35(2), pp.510-529. https://doi.org/10.1111/bre.12720

 2022

Gemignani, L., Mittelbach, B.V., Simon, D., Rohrmann, A., Grund, M.U., Bernhardt, A., Hippe, K., Giese, J. and Handy, M.R., 2022. Response of drainage pattern and basin evolution to tectonic and climatic changes along the dinarides-hellenides orogen. Frontiers in Earth Science, 10, p.821707. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2022.821707

Tian, Y., Zhuang, G., Nie, J., Xu, Q., Xing, Y., Zuza, A., Saylor, J., Leary, R. and Rohrmann, A., (2022). Introduction to the special issue “Tibetan tectonics and its effect on the long‐term evolution of climate, vegetation and environment”. Terra Nova, 34(4), pp.265-270. https://doi.org/10.1111/ter.12588

Kaya, M.Y., Dupont-Nivet, G., Frieling, J., Fioroni, C., Rohrmann, A., Altıner, S.Ö., Vardar, E., Tanyaş, H., Mamtimin, M. and Zhaojie, G., (2022). The Eurasian epicontinental sea was an important carbon sink during the Palaeocene-Eocene thermal maximum. Communications Earth & Environment, 3(1), p.124. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00451-4[MOU1] 

 2021

Meijer, N., Dupont-Nivet, G., Barbolini, N., Woutersen, A., Rohrmann, A., Zhang, Y., Liu, X.J., Licht, A., Abels, H.A., Hoorn, C., Tjallingii, R., Andermann, C., Dietze, M., Nowaczyk, N., (2021): Loess-Like Dust Appearance at 40 Ma in Central China, Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology, 36. DOI: 10.1029/2020PA003993

 2020

Barbolini, N., Woutersen, A., Silvestro, D., Tardif, D., Coster, P.M.., Meijer, N., Chang, C., Zhang, H.-X., Licht, A., Rydin, C., Koutsodendris, A., Han, F., Rohrmann, A., Liu, X.-J., Zhang, Y., Donnadieu, Y., Fluteau, F., Ladant, J.-B., Le Hir, G., Hoorn, C., (2020): Cenozoic evolution of the steppe-desert biome in Central Asia, Science Advances, 6, 1–17. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abb8227 

Pingel, H., Strecker, M.R., Mulch, A., Alonso, R.N., Cottle, J., Rohrmann, A., (2020): Late Cenozoic topographic evolution of the Eastern Cordillera and Puna Plateau margin in the southern Central Andes (NW Argentina), Earth and Planetary Science Letter, 535. DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116112

 2016

Rohrmann, A.,Sachse, D., Mulch, A., Pingel, H., Tofelde, S., Alonso, R.N., Strecker, M.R., (2016): Miocene rapid hydrological response to orographic barrier and central Andean Plateau uplift, Nature Scientific Reports. DOI: 10.1038/srep35678

Nieto-Moreno, V., Rohrmann, A.,Van der Meer, M.T.J., Simninghe Damste, J.S., Sachse, D., Tofelde, S., Niedermeyer, E., Strecker, M.R., Mulch, A. (2016): Elevation-dependent changes in n-alkanes δD and soil GDGTs across the South Central Andes, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 453, 234-242. DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2016.07.049

Pingel, H., Mulch, A., Alonso, R., Cottle, J., Hynek, S., Poletti, J., Rohrmann, A.,Schmitt, A.K., Stockli, D., Strecker, M.R. (2016): Surface uplift and convective rainfall along the southern Central Andes (Angastaco Basin, NW Argentina), Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 440, 33-42. DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2016.02.009

 2014

Rohrmann, A.,Strecker, M.R., Bookhagen, B., Mulch, A.; Sachse, D.; Pingel, H., Alonso, R.N., Schildgen, T.F., Montero, C. (2014): Can stable isotopes ride out the storms? The role of convection for water isotope in models, records, and paleoaltimetry studies in the central Andes. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 407, 187-195. DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2014.09.021

Pingel, H., Alonso, R.N., Mulch, A., Rohrmann, A.,Sudo, M., Strecker, M.R. (2014): Pliocene orographic barrier uplift in the southern Central Andes. Geology, 42(8), 691-694. DOI: 10.1130/G35538.1

 2013

Rohrmann, A.,Heermance, R., Kapp, P., McCalister,  A., Fulong, C. (2013): Wind as the primary driver of erosion in the Qaidam Basin, China. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 374, 1-10. DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2013.03.011

 2012

Rohrmann, A.,Kapp, P., Carrapa, B., Reiners, P., Gyunn, J., Ding, L., Heizler, M. (2012): Thermochronologic evidence for Plateau formation in central Tibet by ~45 Ma, Geology, 40, 187-190. DOI: 10.1130/G32530.1

 2011

Kapp, P., Pelletier, J., Rohrmann, A.,Heermance, R., Russel, J. (2011): Speculations about the history of wind erosion in the Qaidam Basin and its implications for tectonics, paleoclimate, and the source of the Loess Plateau. GSA Today, 21, no. 4/5. DOI: 10.1130/GSATG99A.1

 

Submitted

Rohrmann, A., Pingel, H., Alonso, R.N., Sachse D., Mulch, A., Cottle, J.M, ,Strecker, M.R., (to be submitted): Late Cenozoic uplift and hydrologic evolution of the central Puna Plateau in NW Argentina.

Rohrmann, A., Fischer, A., Hülscher, J., Bernhardt, A., (to be submitted): Last postglacial sea-level fluctuations control fluvial morphodynamics along the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia.

Meijer, N., Licht, A., Woutersen, A., Hoorn, C., Robin-Champigneul, F., Rohrmann, A., Tagliavento, M., Brugger, J., Kelemen, F., Schauer, A., Hren, M., Sun, A., Fiebig, J., Mulch, A., Dupont-Nivet, G.: Extreme Eocene warmth drove proto-monsoons and desert greening far into the Asian interior

(in review Nature Geoscience).

Invited talks

2018

Rohrmann, A. (2018), Ecohydrology and climate along plateau margins, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

2017

Rohrmann, A. (2017), Biomarker-based stable isotope paleoaltimetry elucidates topographic and hydrologic evolution of the Andean Puna Plateau, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan,China.

Rohrmann, A. (2017), Biomarker-based stable isotope paleoaltimetry elucidates topographic and hydrologic evolution of the Andean Puna Plateau, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Xining,China.

Rohrmann, A. (2017), Climate and Tectonics of the southern Central Andes, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.

Rohrmann, A. (2017), Climate and Tectonics of the southern Central Andes, Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA.

2016

Rohrmann, A. (2016), Climate and Tectonics of the southern Central Andes, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston,MA,USA.

Rohrmann, A. (2016), Tectonic, Climate and Landscape Evolution in the Southern Central Andes, University of Connecticut, Mansfield, CT, USA.

2015

Rohrmann, A. (2015), Can stable isotopes ride out the storms? Water isotope in models, records, and paleoaltimetry studies in the central Andes, German Research Center for Geoscience, Potsdam, Germany. 

2014

Rohrmann, A. (2014), Wind as the primary driver of erosion in the Qaidam Basin, China,German Research Center for Geoscience, Potsdam, Germany.

2013

Rohrmann, A. (2013), Water stable-isotopes and paleohydrology of the south-central Andes- Argentina, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.

Rohrmann, A. (2013), Wind as the primary driver of erosion in the Qaidam Basin, China, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.