New developments in geochemistry opened up an entirely new perspective on the constantly changing land surface. Here rock meets water, air and all forms of life. In the course of this weathering and erosion huge material turnovers and chemical reactions are triggered. Chemical elements and sediment are released. Plants are nourished with nutrients and soils can develop. The forces of the Earth’s interior lead to the uplift of mountains and, and compete with climatic forces and the influence of humans that simultaneously erode the mountains. In our section we measure the velocities of these processes and the age of the resulting landforms with cosmogenic nuclides. We investigate the causes of biogeochemical transformations using novel methods of stable metal isotopes. In brief, we want to trace the material turnovers on the Earth's surface by using geochemical fingerprints.

Take a look at our topic page.

Learn more about the unique Helmholtz Laboratory for the Geochemistry of the Earth Surface here.

Watch our Science Movies:

EarthShape: The Skin of the Earth - Where Life Meets Rocks
IsoNose: Isotopes and Mass Spectrometry
Soil Formation: Why is Soil on Earth?
Deep Weathering : The Rock Murder Mystery

Major Grants

• 2022 DFG-ANR Grant PALAVAS (H. Wittmann) 
• 2022 ERC Advanced Grant DEVENDRA (F. von Blanckenburg) 
• 2022 ERC Consolidator Grant PETRARCH (M. Henehan; funding approved but not realized due to appointment at the University of Bristol)
• 2018 ERC Starting Grant COLD (D. Scherler)
• 2016 DFG SPP EarthShape (F. von Blanckenburg, Co-Coordinator)
• 2014 FP7 ITN IsoNose (Coordinator: F. von Blanckenburg)

Awards

• 2022 David Uhlig receives Hans-Cloos Award of the German Geological Society - Geological Association
• 2021 Hella Wittmann-Oelze received Eugen-Seibold-Medal of the German Geological Society - Geological Association
• 2020 David Uhlig received Potsdam Award for Young Scientists
• 2020 Friedhelm von Blanckenburg awarded Member of the Academia Europaea
• 2018 Friedhelm von Blanckenburg awarded Fellow of the American Geophysical Union
• 2017 Dirk Scherler received Geomorphology Division Early Career Award of the European Geosciences Union
• 2016 Friedhelm von Blanckenburg awarded Fellow of the US Geochemical Society and the European Association of Geochemistry
• 2015 Friedhelm von Blanckenburg awared Member of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities
• 2013 Hella Wittmann-Oelze received Viktor-Moritz-Goldschmidt Award of the German Mineralogical Society
• 2010 Friedhelm von Blanckenburg received Ralph Alger Bagnold Geomorphology Medal of the European Geosciences Union
• 2009 Friedhelm von Blanckenburg awarded Member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina

Appointments

• 2024 Chenyu Wang accepts Lectureship at the Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology
• 2024 Kai Deng accepts tenure-track Associate Professorship at the Tongji University, Shanghai
• 2024 Richard F. Ott accepts Assistant Professorship at the University of Amsterdam
• 2022 Michael Henehan accepts Lectureship at University of Bristol
• 2020 Michael Tatzel accepts Junior Professorship at the University of Göttingen
• 2018 Sanjay K. Mandal accepts Assistant Professorship at the IISER Kolkata
• 2010 Jane Willenbring accepts Assistant Professorship at the University of Pennsylvania