Tropical climate variability and speleothem science (Warken - Gruppe)

Under the direction of Dr. Sophie Warken, our team studies various aspects of the climate system that can be investigated using speleothems — or drip stones — as climate archives. Our research focuses primarily on questions related to tropical climate variability, but also includes the reconstruction of climate and precipitation conditions in Europe and other parts of the world. Key methods include the analysis of trace elements in speleothems using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The abundances of certain elements allow us to draw conclusions about the occurrence and intensity of droughts, heavy rainfall events, and even volcanic eruptions. The team is part of Prof. Dr. Norbert Frank’s chair in “Physics of Environmental Archives." and based at the Institute of Earth Sciences. Additional information about our research and teaching activities can be found on the following pages.