Teaching
Our Earth's surface is constantly changing. One focus of the working group is to record the influence of climate change on processes at the Earth's surface on different time scales. In research and teaching, we analyze the effects of current climate change on natural landscapes and soils. Among other things, we deal intensively with flood events in Germany and their consequences for the local population and the environment. A second important research region are the large arid regions of the earth, especially those of Mongolia. Currently, we are investigating the effects of climate change with the help of drones and state-of-the-art satellite data, but also through local field research in Mongolia. We are also working with students from Aachen and Mongolia on the effects of mining on the landscape.
In addition to current processes, the chair is looking at climate changes in the past and investigating how past climate variability, in combination with human impacts, has affected the landscape. To this end, we study dunes and lakeshores in various arid regions as well as river deposits in Central Europe. The samples collected in the process are then analyzed in our laboratory using state-of-the-art techniques.
Our students are involved in all of these projects. The results also flow into our diverse courses. For example, there are lectures on past and current climate change (e.g., Soil Erosion, Landscape Evolution and Quaternary Dynamics, and Global Change) in both the bachelor's and master's programs. In addition, students are introduced to practical research methods during field internships and excursions.