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: TBD

Vita: TBD

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: 

Vita:

Invited by: Marco Bonhoff

19.06.2025

13:15, Lecture hall C.011

Dr. Jörg Maletz (FU Berlin)

Research on Graptolites

Abstract: TBD

Vita: TBD

Invited by: Jan Pleuger

26.06.2025

13:15, Lecture hall C.011

Dr. Nico Goldschneider (KIT)

Title TBD 

Abstract: TBD

Vita: TBD

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: TBD

Vita: TBD

Invited by: Friedhelm von Blanckenburg

10.07.2025

13:15, Lecture hall C.011

Dr. Laura Stutenbecker (U Münster)

Title TBD

Abstract:  TBD

Vita: TBD

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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