Department of Sedimentology
and Environmental Geology

The Department of Sedimentology and Environmental Geology is devoted to studying and teaching the origin, geological history, and societal relevance of sediments and sedimentary rocks.


The physical and chemical properties of sediments reflect the geologic and environmental conditions at the time of their formation and thus represent first-order archives of the Earth’s evolution. Sediment properties also reflect the various processes that may have modified the sediment since deposition (i.e. diagenesis) depending on burial and thermal evolution of the respective sedimentary basin.


We work on several projects that cover a broad range from sedimentary basin and provenance analysis in various ancient geologic settings to weathering and sedimentation dynamics in modern systems, including methodical developments in geochronology, thermometry, and sedimentary provenance analysis. Projects related to the sustainable use of bioenergy and coastal protection measures constitute further pillars of the Department‘s research and teaching profile.