Function and Responsibilities:

Head of working group Magnetotellurics
Equal opportunity officer

Research Interests:

My main research interest is the application of Magnetotellurics on all scales from the drillable Earth's surface on a meter scale to lithospheric depth. Although I started with a geo-dynamic focus, I have deliberately fostered a more comprehensive approach to bring my research into line with applied research areas such as geothermal energy, alternative energy sources (gas shale), CO₂ degassing or imaging of the critical zone.

I regard geophysics and in particular the electromagnetic methods as an integral component of modern, interdisciplinary geosciences at addressing diversified problems of our time. One characteristic physical parameter of matter and as such of rocks is the electrical conductivity. This parameter is particularly useful in an environmental context since fluids and aquifers as well as contaminations have a different resistivity imprint compared to the surrounding or intact host rock. My research approach has been characterized by a strong methodological focus working towards more sophisticated images of the Earth’s subsurface and to integrate and jointly interpret my results with other geophysical methods, such as gravity, magnetics and seismics – mostly within the framework of larger research initiatives. Many of my projects since 2004 have focussed on Southern Africa (South Africa and Namibia) as part of today’s African continent. They were integrated in the German-South African multi-disciplinary geo-scientific research initiative Inkaba yeAfrica. By imaging the electrical conductivity across fossil suture zones, I was able to correlate zones of high electrical conductivity with remnants of past tectonic processes. Integrating and modelling magnetic and gravity data across the Beattie Magnetic Anomaly - a large-scale enigmatic geophysical anomaly in South Africa - and across onshore basins contributed significantly to an advanced and sophisticated geodynamic interpretation. However, these projects did not only combine different geo-scientific methods but also provide a link between geodynamic and applied research, by imaging potential gas shale horizons, geothermal reservoirs, deep aquifers and deposits of mineral resources. To compare imprints of past processes with more recent ones, some of my recent research focusses on more recent continental collision systems such as the Pamirs or the San Andreas Fault in California. In the recent years, I have started to develop a Radio-Magnetotelluric (RMT) system that can be applied for imaging shallow and drillable depth (<100 m). I have applied the RMT method in the context of e.g., joint geochemical projects to map the weathering zone and to relate the electrical conductivity to weathering processes. A recently funded project within the DGG Special Priority Program 1803 “EarthShape” together with geo-biologists and geochemists addresses the issue of weathering processes along the Chilean coast within a similar geological setting but in different climate and precipitation zones. This research is supported by acquired borehole data and geophysical lab measurements at specific core samples.

Within the context of natural CO₂ degassing in the Eger rift (ICDP project) we have imaged pathways of deep fluids and mantle derived CO₂ in the upper soil layers and could connect them with their deep-seated sources in the lower Earth’s crust. Hereby we closely worked with geologists and microbiologists in particular to unravel the evolution of maar diatremes in the area.

In summary, my research focus includes novel methodological approaches to image, interpret and integrate my geophysical observations and inversion models together with other geophysical, geological, geochemical and geomorphological data. Over the last decades the computational resources developed and increased to foster processing and analysis of “big data”, requiring for instance machine learning approaches. At the same time, increased resources and improved computing infrastructure allow for increasingly detailed sophisticated and comprehensive 3D inversion modelling. Thereby it is of importance to assess and validate field observations with simulation studies. For any geophysical method, theoretical considerations especially on the robustness, the accuracy and meaningfulness of numerical simulations, imaging, monitoring and inversion results are important to successfully integrate results within different disciplines.

Career:

I completed my PhD in Geophysics at the Freie Universität Berlin in 2001 and my Habilitation at the Potsdam University in 2016. Since summer 2016, I am Privat-Dozentin at the University of Potsdam. Since 2006, I have been at the GFZ Helmholtz Centre Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam - first as junior research group leader and since 2013 as head of the research group “Magnetotellurics” embedded in Section 2.2 "Geophysical Imaging". During my career, I have published 42 Web of Science journal publications with > 1200 citations and an h-factor of 21, acquired and coordinated a several research projects from different sources (14 projects since 2004) and completed 6 PhDs as supervisor (additional 3 are ongoing) from 2008-2025. I am editor of the Geophysical Journal International since 2013 and chair of Division VI “Electromagnetic Induction in the Earth and Planetary Bodies” of the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy (IAGA).

Since the beginning of my graduate level academic career, I have been involved in the higher-level education and supervision of undergraduates and graduate students. I taught Electromagnetic methods and in particular “Magnetotellurics” at various levels at Potsdam University, and in the context of international capacity building activities (e.g., in South Africa).

Education:

• May 2013 - present
  Head of working group Magnetotellurics
  
• Aug 2006 – May 2013
  Research scientist at Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam (since April 2011 with permanent contract)
• Mar 2006 - 2012
  Leader of a DFG junior research group (Suture zones)
  
• Mar 2004 – Mar 2006
  Emmy Noether fellow at Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, Ireland
  
• Feb 2002 – Feb 2004
  Research associate at GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam
  
• 1999 - 2002
  Research fellow (PhD student) at GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam
  PhD (Dr. rer.nat.) in Geophysics at the Free University, Berlin Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Volker Haak
  
• 1992 - 1999
  Diploma in Geophysics at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt a.M., Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Andreas Junge

Projects:

2025    DFG    LaSEMI, We2938/18-1                PhD 3yr + MT experiment

2021    EU       VECTOR                                     PhD 2 yr + MT Experiment

2018    DFG    GIDES, We2938/13-1                 PostDoc 1yr + RMT experiment

2018    DFG    ConEM, We2938/12-1                PostDoc 2yrs + MT experiment

2015    DFG    EMERES, We2938/10-1            PostDoc 2yrs + MT experiment

2013    DFG    ELCOPOT, We2938/9-1            PostDoc 3 yrs

2011    BMBF  TIPTIMON                                 1 PhD student + MT experiment

2010    DFG    ELCONA                                    PostDoc 3yrs + MT experiment

2009    BMBF  Co2Bra                                      -

2009    DFG    ELIBABA, We2938/8-1              MT experiment

2009    DFG    WE2938/6-2                               -

2009    BMBF  Multi-EM                                    PostDocs + PhD students

2008    DFG    ICDP workshop, Barberton

2006    DFG   Junior Research Group, WE2938/6-1

2005    DFG    return grant WE2938/3-1

2003    DFG    Emmy Noether fellowship, WE2938/1-1

Research Boards and Committees:

Editor of Geophysical Journal International (GJI)
Chair of IAGA Division VI
Equal Opportunity Commissioner at GFZ
DGG Committee “Honours”

Awards:

2012    Helmholtz Management Academy
2008    GFZ junior research price
2008    Helmholtz Network mentoring-Programme
2005    Burgen Fellow (Academia Europaea)
2004    Emmy Noether fellowship (DFG)