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Ecohydrological and Ecogeomorphic Disturbances
I am proud dad of three kids, passionate climber and physical geographer working at BGR, Hannover. I study how forests respond to landscape disturbances and how these disturbances drive geological and geomorphic hazards. Such events can trigger key processes that usually remain hidden, leading to biased conclusions if overlooked. Many of these processes occur in the critical zone—the thin layer where rock meets life, spanning bedrock, soil, water, biomass, and atmosphere (Mohr et al., 2024). Disturbances, often linked to natural hazards, are abrupt events that alter a system’s function (Mirus et al., 2017). They can initiate surface processes that influence biogeochemical, especially carbon, cycles. My research combines fieldwork, lab analysis, UAV surveys, and computer modeling—particularly physics-based models like Landlab.
Blanco River affected by the Chaitén eruption (2008), Patagonia, Chile.
Drone-footage of Patagonian Rainforest in different degrees of disturbance.
Natural Landscape Disturbances in Patagonian Rainforests
Coastal rainforests have inspired scientists and artists alike—Chile’s Pablo Neruda wrote, “He who does not know the Chilean forests, does not know the planet.” Intact forests are vital for storing carbon, regulating climate, and preventing erosion. Disturbances can cause massive carbon releases, yet they may also enhance long-term storage—for example, landslides can bury organic carbon while regrowing forests reabsorb CO₂. Whether such dynamics result in net carbon gain or loss remains uncertain. My research investigates these feedbacks and processes in Patagonian rainforests—part of the world’s largest temperate carbon storehouse—using physical models and data-driven analysis (also see RETROGRESS). To this end, I develop physical models and perform rigorous data science.
> Pumalin Critical Zone Observatory
Forest plantations in the vicinity of Nacimiento township, Chile (2012).
Hydrological and Erosion Responses to Forest Management
Fast-growing exotic plantations demand vast amounts of freshwater, while short rotation cycles strain slowly forming soils. How do such managed landscapes respond to climate change and intensified management? How can forest practices become more sustainable? And how do road networks affect hydrological and geomorphic processes? Addressing these questions—and developing quantitative predictions—forms the core of my research, through modeling and field-based approaches.
> Runoff, Ersion and Connectivity in Man-made 'forests'
> Runoff Generation and Soil Erosion on Harvest Areas
> Geomorphic Work, Process Response, and Seasonal Logging
Time-lapse movie of a stream in Napa Valley responding to the 2014-Napa earthquake (from video recorded by Mike Henry).
Earthquake Hydrology
Since the time of Pliny the Elder and Immanuel Kant, earthquakes have been known to trigger hydrological anomalies—offering rare insight into water–tectonic coupling. Recent studies have advanced our understanding of seismo-hydrological processes that alter streamflow, yet a unified explanation remains elusive. How do streamflow, groundwater, and soil moisture respond to earthquakes, and how significant are these rare disturbances for regional water balances and vegetation? To address these questions, I develop and test groundwater flow models that simulate earthquake impacts on subsurface hydrology.
> Streamflow responses in Headwater Catchments
> Regional Changes in Streamflow after an Earthquake
> Post-seismic Sediment Fluxes
> Bayesian Change Point Detection for Streamflow Responses to Earthquakes
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