Program Sommer-Semester 2025

24.04.2025

13:15, Lecture hall C.011

Dr. Frank Wombacher (Universität zu Köln)

The Chemical Composition of Chondritic Meteorites

Abstract: Chondritic meteorites and equivalent samples from recent return missions provide the most primordial solar system materials for study in the laboratory. Chondrites and their components carry information on processes that took place within the protoplanetary disc and on asteroidal parent bodies. They also serve as key objects for comparison with Earth’s chemical and isotope composition. This presentation provides a quick guide to these fascinating samples before discussing their chemical composition and in particular the depletion of volatile elements.

Vita: Frank Wombacher is a staff scientist, lab manager and lecturer at the Universität zu Köln. He studied Geology and Paleontology in Würzburg, Edinburgh and Göttingen, followed by a PhD at the Universität Münster and post-doc positions at the GEOMAR in Kiel and the FU Berlin. Frank is particularly interested in the development and application of analytical methods in order to solve current problems in cosmochemistry.

Invited by:  Ninja Braukmüller

15.05.2025

13:15, Lecture hall C.011

Dr. Chiara Bazzucchi (FU Berlin)

Reconstructing Uplift through Denudation Rates in Carbonate Systems: An Albanian Orogen Case Study 

Abstract: Quantifying landscape evolution in active mountain belts requires approaches that can resolve the rates of surface processes across multiple timescales and geological settings. This study combines geomorphic landform analyses with measurements of rare cosmogenic Beryllium isotopes, produced within minerals (in situ ¹⁰Be) and in the atmosphere (meteoric ¹⁰Be/⁹Be). These serve as natural clocks of erosion rates, which are commonly used to assess tectonic uplift. Applied to the Albanides, an orogenic belt in the Central Mediterranean region characterised by rapid lateral changes in tectonic style and lithology, I found marked spatial variability in erosion and uplift rates. Tectonics emerges as the dominant control, with regional uplift driven by deep processes such as underplating, and local enhancement by active surface faulting. These findings strengthen the existing long-term thermochronological and short-term river incision framework, refining the spatial and temporal distribution of uplift and erosion across the Albanides and providing a clearer picture of how tectonic deformation is recorded in the landscape.

Vita: I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Geochemistry section at Freie Universität Berlin and GFZ Potsdam, working within the DEVENDRA ERC project. My research focuses on meteoric Beryllium isotopes to trace weathering and erosion in carbonate terrains, with the goal of identifying how these processes vary across climatic gradients and what they imply for long-term carbon cycling. I studied geology at the University of Roma Tre, where I also completed my PhD, focusing on cosmogenic nuclides and surface processes in active orogenic belts.

Invited by: Friedhelm von Blanckenburg

22.05.2025

13:15, Lecture hall C.011

Dr. Anna Gülcher (U Bern) 

Dynamics and Evolution of Earth’s Mantle and (Forthcoming) Insights on Venus 

Abstract:  Mantle convection is a key process driving the long-term evolution of rocky planets. Constraining the composition, structure, and dynamics of Earth’s mantle, however, remains a scientific challenge that demands cross-disciplinary approaches. I will present advanced 2D and 3D geodynamical models that explore the nature and evolution of chemical mantle heterogeneity — both primordial and recycled through tectonic processes — and its role in Earth’s mantle evolution. Our work integrates independent hypotheses of present-day lower-mantle structure, which we link to geophysical and geochemical observations. I’ll conclude by connecting these insights to the geodynamics of Venus and key questions targeted by upcoming ESA/NASA missions.

Vita: Anna is a computational Earth and planetary scientist at the Center for Space and Habitability, University of Bern, Switzerland. She previously held research positions at ETH Zurich, Caltech, and Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Her work focuses on the interior dynamics, tectonics, and volcanism of rocky planets like Earth and Venus, combining geodynamic modeling with observational data. She is an Interdisciplinary Scientist on ESA’s EnVision mission and a collaborator on NASA’s VERITAS mission, both set to explore Venus in the next decade. Anna is also active in outreach and science communication and has been involved in the EGU Geodynamics Division.

Website: http://www.annagulcher.com

Invited by: Lena Noack

05.06.2025

13:15, Lecture hall C.011

Dr. Harry Becker (FU Berlin)

The Chronology of Lunar Bombardment in the Light of Isotopic Dating

Abstract: Lunar impact craters, basins and their deposits are witnesses of the early lunar bombardment history. Since the first lunar sample return missions, isotopic dating results on lunar highland rocks have shaped debates on the ages of lunar basins and the early lunar bombardment history. In the early days, abundant dates near 3.9 Ga and more scarce older dates were interpreted to reflect a late cataclysmic bombardment of the inner solar system. These results stood in contrast to constraints from geology and ages derived from crater counting studies, which proposed a smooth decline of the lunar bombardment rate. I will review some recent developments in isotopic dating and other data, which illustrate the progress in this field and challenge some of the early assumptions and hypotheses.

Vita: Harry Becker is Professor of Geochemistry at Freie Universität Berlin in Germany. His main research interests are processes in the early solar system and the evolution of Earth’s mantle and crust. 

12.06.2025

13:15, Lecture hall C.011

Dr. Patricia Martinez-Garzon (GFZ Potsdam)

The Interplay of Seismic and Aseismic Deformation in the Western North Anatolian Fault Near Istanbul: Implications for Seismic Hazard

Abstract: Major plate boundary strike slip faults can accommodate the relative motion of tectonic plates through a combination of seismic and aseismic slip. The proportion of seismic and aseismic slip released is a key factor to quantify seismic hazard and subsequent risk. Faults releasing part of their accumulated strain aseismically (with slip velocities below shear-wave speed), may have less accumulated strain available to rupture in an earthquake. However, there are several well documented cases where also creeping faults are activated during large ruptures. Among the major plate bounding continental transform faults near urban areas, the Marmara section of the North Anatolian Fault Zone in northwestern Türkiye stands out due to its elevated seismic hazard and risk. In this talk, we summarize what is known (and not known) about the interplay between seismic and aseismic deformation along the North Anatolian Fault Zone, with a particular focus in the greater Marmara region. In particular, we will address 1) the detection and analysis of deformation processes extending from seismic to aseismic movements as well as their interaction, 2) the characterization of deformationtransients preceding the occurrence of moderate local earthquakes, and 3) the source physics and directivity effects of the local microseismicity. We utilize our results to summarize the most important seismological aspects to continue investigating to mitigate seismic risk.

Vita: Patricia is currently the Head of the Working Group Leader “Seismo-mechanics and Slip Transients” at GFZ Helmholtz Center for Geoscience, Section 4.2 Geomechanics and Scientific Drilling. She is currently PI of the ERC-Starting Grant “QUAKEHUNTER”: Near-real time monitoring of earthquake nucleation near urban areas, and co-PI of the ICDP-GONAF: Geophysical Monitoring of the North Anatolian Fault. Since March 2025 she also holds a joint-appointment as Associate Professor of Applied Seismology at RWTH University of Aachen. 

Link to research page: saidan.org

Invited by: Marco Bonhoff

19.06.2025

13:15, Lecture hall C.011

Dr. Jörg Maletz (FU Berlin)

Research on Graptolites and Palaeontology in general

Abstract: The supposedly extinct groups of the graptolites have been in the center of my research for more than 40 years, thus dominating my scientific career. Now, around my official retirement, I will look back at my scientific career, showing that even though graptolites were the main focus of my research, radiolarian and sponge research and a few other points widened my horizon. Graptolites are used for biostratigraphy and dating rock successions. In recent years my Chinese colleagues even used them for the exploration of shale gas and oil, especially in the Sichuan Basin of the Yangtze Platform. Cladistic interpretations, evolutionary history, ecological interpretations, and most recently the understanding that some graptolites are still around us are further important aspects of my graptolite research. Palaeontology is not an isolated topic in the Geosciences, but provides valuable data for many geoscientific interpretations.

Vita: Jörg Maletz is known for his paleontological research on graptolites and other Palaeozoic fossils. He studied geology and palaeontology in Göttingen and moved to Berlin for his Ph.D. thesis in 1987. The habilitation in Greifswald (1996-2001) was the next step before a 10 year intermezzo as lecturer at SUNY Buffalo (State University of New York at Buffalo, NY, USA). In October 2001, he returned to Berlin to fill a position as Senior Research Associate in DFG Forschergruppe 736 (The Precambrian-Cambrian Ecosphere (R)evolution: Insights from Chinese microcontinents). Since 2014 he is involved in projects on the Cambrian/Ordovician boundary section in North China and on the late Ordovician to early Silurian graptolitic successions in drill cores on the Yangtze Platform of China with colleagues from Nanjing and Wuhan.

Invited by: Jan Pleuger

26.06.2025

13:15, Lecture hall C.011

Dr. Nico Goldscheider (KIT)

Karst and Water

Abstract: Karst regions and aquifers host a variety of natural resources, such as fresh groundwater and associated ecosystems with high biodiversity. Worldwide, 15.2% of the ice-free land area consists of carbonate rocks, most of which are karstified. Approximately 678 million people, or 9.2% of the world's population, are supplied with water from karst aquifers. This lecture presents a global and holistic perspective on karst areas, water resources and ecosystems under the conditions of climate change, illustrated by current research examples from the Alpine and Mediterranean regions.

Vita: Nico Goldscheider is professor for hydrogeology at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). He studied geology and geoecology in Karlsruhe and completed his PhD in hydrogeology in 2002. Subsequently, he was lecturer and researcher at the Centre of Hydrogeology in Switzerland (2002-2010) and professor for hydrogeology and geothermics at TU Munich (2010-2011), until he was appointed at KIT in 2011. His research includes karst and alpine hydrogeology, tracing techniques, groundwater quality, protection and management, and microbiological and ecological aspects of groundwater research. From 2009 to 2017, he served as chairman of the IAH Karst Commission. In 2022 he was elected chairman of the German Hydrogeology Section (FH-DGGV).

Invited by: Nadine Göppert

03.07.2025

13:15, Lecture hall C.011

Dr. Camilo Montes (Universidad del Norte, Baranquilla, Colombia)

Central American Seaway Closure and Birth of Major Northern Andean Drainages

Abstract: Closure of the Central American Seaway undoubtedly impacted global ocean and atmospheric circulation, biotic interchanges, as well as local paleogeography. Closure of the Central American Seaway has been deemed responsible for the northern hemisphere glaciation, changes in NADW (North Atlantic Deep Water), and the GABI (Great American Biotic Interchange), all in Pliocene times (3.1-2.7 Ma). Its timing, however, is hotly debated. In this presentation, I show evidence for a much earlier closure (~15 Ma), based on local geological data in the northern Andes and the Panama Isthmus. Such an early closure, of course, leaves open many questions regarding what mechanisms caused glaciation, changes in deep water, and biotic migrations in the Pliocene.

Vita: Camilo is a field geologist based in Universidad del Norte, Colombia, where he teaches geologic mapping, structural geology and tectonics. Camilo has held positions in Universidad de Los Andes, in Bogotá, Colombia, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, French Institute of Petroleum, Paris, and has worked in the mining sector in Colombia and South Africa.

Invited by: Friedhelm von Blanckenburg

10.07.2025

13:15, Lecture hall C.011

Dr. Laura Stutenbecker (U Münster)

Disentangling Climatic and Tectonic Controls in a Plio-Pleistocene Fluvial Archive

Abstract:  Rivers play a central role in transporting water and sediment across the Earth's surface. Tectonic and climatic drivers, as well as autogenic processes, shape river systems and the distribution of sediment through time and space. Reading fluvial deposits in the geological record provides important information about past Earth surface processes and dynamics. Extracting and disentangling environmental signals from the geological record, however, is challenging and requires an interdisciplinary approach. This presentation showcases the Pliocene and Pleistocene sediment dynamics of the Rhine River in western Germany. The combination of heavy mineral analysis, bulk geochemistry and cyclostratigraphy allows identifying both tectonic and climatic signals in the Rhine graben sedimentary record and connecting them to regional and global events.

Vita: Laura is a professor of sedimentology and Earth surface processes at the University of Münster. She studied Geological Sciences at the Freie Universität Berlin (2008-2014) and holds a PhD in Earth Sciences from the University of Bern, Switzerland (2017). She spent 5 years as a postdoc and lecturer at the Technical University of Darmstadt (2017-2022). Her research focuses on the quantification of earth surface processes through sediment fingerprinting/provenance analysis, mixing modeling, and sediment budgeting.

Invited by: Steffi Tofelde

17.07.2025

13:15, Lecture hall C.011

Dr. Andreas Hübner (FU Berlin)

FAIR and Open Research Data Practices in the Earth Sciences

Abstract: The concepts of FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) data and open data are closely related but distinct, each highlighting different aspects of managing and sharing research data. Researchers often seek clarification on what this entails and what is expected of them by their university or research funders to make their data FAIR and open. This presentation will provide a concise overview of these concepts and offer practical examples of how researchers can make their data FAIR and open. Specifically, this includes depositing research outputs in trustworthy, community-accepted repositories, thoroughly documenting each dataset, properly citing data and software, and including a data availability statement in journal publications. Additionally, researchers should develop and implement data management plans to ensure the long-term accessibility and usability of their data.

Vita: Andreas Hübner studied Geology at the Freie Universität Berlin (FU) and the University of Edinburgh. He holds a Ph.D. in Geochemistry from the FU Berlin, and held a postdoctoral position at the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands.
In 2006, Andreas Hübner joined the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam, Germany, where he focused on Open Science topics, including his work with the Fachinformationsdienst Geowissenschaften (FID GEO). Additionally, he spent three years working with the Open Access Büro Berlin. In 2021, he took on a new role as liaison librarian for the Earth Sciences in the research data management team at the FU university library.

Invited by: Elis Hoffmann

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