Personal page of Dr. Sophie Warken Sophie Warken
PD Dr. Sophie Warken
Heidelberg University
Institut of Earth Sciences
Im Neuenheimer Feld 234 (6. floor, room 603)
69120 Heidelberg
Germany
Phone: +49 6221 54 96029
E-Mail: sophie.warken ( at ) uni-heidelberg.de
Research interests
- (Tropical) climate variability and quantitative climate reconstruction using speleothems and corals
- Detection and reconstruction of extreme events such as tropical storms, droughts, or volcanic eruptions
- Geochemical methods, such as Th/U dating and (LA)-ICP-MS analysis of trace elements
About
I am leading scientist of Speleothem science and tropical climate variability at the chair of Prof. Norbert Frank (Physics of Environmental Archives) at the Institute of Earth Sciences and Environmental Physics Heidelberg. Our team is investigating various aspects of the climate system that can be studied using speleothems (or stalagmites) as climate archives. Our work focuses on issues related to tropical climate variability, but also includes the reconstruction of climate and precipitation conditions in Europe and other parts of the world. The main methods used are the measurement and analysis of trace elements in speleothems using laser ablation mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The frequencies of certain elements allow us to draw conclusions about the occurrence and intensity of droughts, heavy rainfall events, and volcanic eruptions. In this context, we are developing novel methods for geochemical analysis and dating of stalagmites and corals, which allow inferences to be made about past climate changes. In 2025, I received the Venia Legend in Earth Sciences (Paleoclimatology and Environmental Geochemistry). For my work on my habilitation I have been awarded funding by Heidelberg University's Olympia Morata Program. Our work is further supported by DFG (see link to GEPRIS) and DAAD/BMBF. Most recently, I have been awarded an ERC Starting Grant for my project PaleoTraCeS where we will reconstruct the activity of tropical cyclones in the past to understand the underlying driving processes and to derive foundations for modeling future extreme weather events.
- ERC StG26 (upcoming in 03/27): Trace Metals in Speleothems – Advancing Paleotempestology Using a Novel Geochemical Proxy of Tropical Cyclone Activity
- DFG (ongoing, within SPP2299 Phase 2): Reconstructing Environmental Effects of Freshwater-Seawater Dynamics via Submarine Groundwater Discharge (PostDoc S. Greve)
- DFG (ongoing): Comparison of interglacial tropical climate variability during the past 300,000 years (PhD A. Mielke)
- DFG (accomplished, within SPP2299 Phase 1): Quantifying post Little-Ice-Age freshwater influences and ocean dynamics in the Central American Sea using a novel tracer combination: 234U/238U– (P)SST – 14C (PhD S. Greve)
- DFG (accomplished): Speleothem based quantification of precipitation and aridity and its role for Maya cultural development on the northern Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico (PhD N. Schorndorf)
- DAAD/BMBF (accomplished): High-resolution quantification of transition metals in tropical stalagmites (Project related personal exchange New Zealand 2023-2025, cooperation with the Waikato Environmental Geochemistry group by Prof. Adam Hartland and Dr. Sebastian Hoepker, University of Waikato, NZ).
--- We have always BSc/MSc projects in Earth Sciences or Physics available - Please check our website or contact us! ---
Curriculum Vitae
Table
03/2023 – present | Postdoctoral researcher - Junior research group leader “Speleothem science & Climate variability”, University of Heidelberg, Institute of Earth Sciences and Institute of Environmental Physics, “Physics of Environmental Archives” (Chair: Prof. Dr. Norbert Frank), |
10/2021 – 11/2025 | Habilitation in Earth Sciences at University of Heidelberg (Germany) on “Towards a quantification of climate: The speleothem perspective” (Mentors: Prof. N. Frank and Prof. L. Tacjmanova) |
03/2023 – 02/2025 | Olympia Morata Fellow, Heidelberg University |
06/2018 – 02/2023 | Postdoctoral researcher, University of Heidelberg, Institute of Earth Sciences and Institute of Environmental Physics, “Physics of Environmental Archives” (Chair: Prof. Dr. Norbert Frank) |
02/2012 – 04/2017 | Interdisciplinary PhD (Environmental Physics and Isotope Geology) “Potentials and limitations of multi-proxy records in speleothem research - Case studies in complex climate systems”. Supervisors: Prof. A. Mangini (Heidelberg) and Prof. D. Scholz (Mainz). |
01/2013 – 06/2018 | Research assistant (PhD student), University of Mainz, Institute of Geosciences, “Speleothem research group” (Chair: Prof. Dr. Denis Scholz) (including parental leaves for two children) |
01/2013 – 12/2016 | Associated research assistant and PhD student, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry Mainz, Climate Geochemistry department, “Paleoclimate research group”. (Group: Dr. Klaus Peter Jochum) |
06/2009 – 12/2012 | Research assistant (PhD student) Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften, Forschungsstelle Radiometrie (Group: Prof. Augusto Mangini) |
06/2009 – 06/2011 | Student assistant (Th/U dating lab), Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften, Forschungsstelle Radiometrie (Group: Prof. Augusto Mangini) |
04/2005 – 06/2011 | Physics studies with the master subject on environmental physics (Diploma thesis: “Ein präzise datierter Multiproxyrecord des Spätholozäns aus einem südeuropäischen Stalagmit (Cloşani-Höhle, Rumänien)”. Supervisor: Prof. Augusto Mangini. Grade: very good |
08/2008 – 02/2009 | Studies of Environmental Physics and Earth Sciences, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (Spain) |