Prof. Dr. Werner Aeschbach
Professor of Physics at the Institute of Environmental Physics (IUP) at Heidelberg University, HCE member since 2011.
As a professor at the Institute of Environmental Physics (IUP), I represent the field of physics of aquatic systems, which includes topics such as tracer and isotope hydrology, water resources research, hydrogeology, physical oceanography and limnology, and recently even glaciology. My research also addresses the climate of the past and contemporary changes induced by global warming.
Key research activities and goals include:
- the development of analytical techniques and data interpretation / modeling tools for specific tracer methods, in particular stable and radioactive noble gas isotopes
- applications of these methods for age dating in groundwater, lakes, oceans, and glaciers, to study the dynamics of these environmental systems
- the reconstruction of paleoclimate information from the groundwater, speleothem and glacier archives, especially through applications of the noble gas thermometer
Why I joined the HCE
In the years before the foundation of the HCE, I was involved in discussions about the future of interdisciplinary environmental research at Heidelberg University. When this eventually led to the foundation of the HCE, it was natural to become a founding member. I strongly believe in the necessity of inter- and transdisciplinary cooperation in order to tackle the wicked problems that the grand global challenges such as climate change or biodiversity loss are.
My highlights so far
I had the privilege of serving as the director of the HCE for several years. In this role, I was able to build a broad and strong network with colleagues from many disciplines. It was particularly rewarding to experience how this network enabled me to stimulate successful collaborations and projects between HCE members. The wide range of perspectives and expertise represented in the HCE is scientifically extremely valuable and also personally enriching.
My key partners
I have several research collaborations with HCE members from environmental physics, the geosciences, and geography. The wider HCE network has generated many collaborations not only in research, but also in teaching and in publication projects reviewing environmental science or specific topics such as climate and health.
A key partner for my research with noble gas radioisotopes is Prof. Markus Oberthaler at the neighbouring Kirchhoff Institute for Physics - together we are developing and applying the Atom Trap Trace Analysis (ATTA) technique for research in groundwater, the oceans, and glacier ice. This innovative quantum physical technique is pioneered by only a few labs internationally in the US, China, and Australia, with whom we are in regular exchange. The application of ATTA involves partners in Germany (e.g., at Geomar, AWI, UFZ, and several universities) and internationally (e.g. Austria, France, Switzerland, and the US).
In groundwater and paleoclimate research projects I have collaborated with European partners, e.g., in the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, and Estonia, and worldwide for example in China, India, Israel, and Brazil. I am also working with regional partners in industry and academia on the exploration of geothermal energy potentials in southern Germany.