We employ an analytically diverse approach that primarily targets Cenozoic sedimentary records to provide concrete narratives of past climates and environments as well as a better understanding of the recurrence and magnitude of natural hazards. Past and current research endeavors involve diverse themes, including the reconstruction of past changes in climate dynamics, landscape evolution, biogeochemical cycles, natural hazards and basin development. Furthermore, the group addresses impact of these changes on biological evolution as well as biotic and abiotic factors that control postdepositional sediment alteration. Our research approach is motivated by the idea that extracting information from sedimentary archives requires a comprehensive understanding of the spatial and temporal dimensions and drivers (climate, tectonics, humans, etc.) controlling sediment production, transport, burial, and postdepositional alteration. For this, we design research projects using a holistic approach that starts with understanding the catchment dynamics, physics, and chemistry of the investigated lake and ocean basins through the collection of ideal data and samples in the field. Geophysical data is analyzed using computational methods while samples collected at the field sites undergo basic analysis (eg. sedimentological & petrophysical etc.) and, depending on the particular scientific question to be answered, more sophisticated sedimentological, inorganic, organic and isotope geochemical analyses.
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