Research

• Paleoclimate reconstruction
• Caves and speleothems
• ²³⁰Th/U dating
• Stable isotope fractionation
• Development of age models for climate archives

Job History

since 2020: professor of Isotope Geochemical Paleoclimatology/Speleothem Research at the Institute of Geosciences of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

2015 – 2020: professor (Heisenberg Professorship) of Isotope Geochemical Paleoclimatology/Speleothem Research at the Institute of Geosciences of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

2009 – 2015: Junior Professor of Speleothem Research at the Institute of Geosciences of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

2008 – 2009: Visiting Fellow (DFG research scholarship), School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, England

2005 – 2008: PostDoc, Heidelberg Academy of Sciences, DFG research unit DAPHNE

Vocational Training

2005: doctoral dissertation in Physics (“U-series dating of diagenetically altered fossil reef corals and the application for sea level reconstruction”), Heidelberg university

2001: 1st state examination in Mathematics/Physics, Heidelberg university

1998: intermediate exam in Mathematics/Physics, Heidelberg university

Ongoing projects

• Junior Professorship for high-resolution Sedimentology, Institute of Geosciences, JGU Mainz – “Investigation of past climate with sub-annual to annual resolution using congruent imaging procedures (PALAEOIMAGING)” Volkswagen foundation funding initiative Earth System Sciences, PIs Jun.-Prof. Dr. Igor Obreht, Prof. Dr. Denis Scholz and Prof. Dr. Philip Pogge von Strandmann (VW foundation)
• Evaluation of isothermal thermoluminescence dating as a method for the determination of Middle Pleistocene growth phases of speleothems from the Bleßberg Cave, PIs Prof. Dr. Norbert Marwan, Prof. Dr. Denis Scholz and Prof. Dr. Sumiko Tsukamoto (DFG)

Completed Projects

• Annually resolved multi-parameter evaluation of climate variability and solar activity during the 8.2 ka BP event, PIs Prof. Dr. Jan Esper, Dr. Ronny Friedrich, Dr. Gerhard Helle, Dr. Alexander Land and Prof. Dr. Denis Scholz (DFG, 2021 – 2025)
• Quantitative reconstruction of the climate in Central Europe during MIS 3 based on multi-proxy data of precisely dated speleothems (flowstones) from the Bleßberg Cave, Germany, PI Prof. Dr. Denis Scholz (DFG, 2020 – 2024)
• Reconstruction of decadal to orbital climate variability during Marine Isotope Stage 9 based on precisely dated multi-proxy time series from speleothems in Central Europe, PIs Prof. Dr. Denis Scholz and Dr. Dana Riechelmann (DFG, 2019 – 2023)
• Multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS), PI Prof. Dr. Denis Scholz (DFG major instrumentation grant, 2017)
• Determining the potential of speleothems for the reconstruction of (short-term) phases of extreme climate, PI Prof. Dr. Denis Scholz (DFG, 2015 – 2022)
• QUantitative paleoEnvironments from SpeleoThems (QUEST), PIs Prof. Dr. Sebastian Breitenbach, Dr. Adam Hartland and Prof. Dr. Denis Scholz (EU RISE program, 2015 – 2019)
• Heisenberg Professorship “Isotope Geochemical Paleoclimate Research/Speleothem Research”, PI Dr. Denis Scholz (DFG, 2015 – 2019)
• Systematic investigation of isotope fractionation in speleothems using novel laboratory experiments, PIs Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Dreybrodt and Prof. Dr. Denis Scholz, (DFG, 2013 – 2019)
• Reconstruction of precipitation variability in the Caribbean during the last glacial (115,000 – 12,000 years before present), PI Prof. Dr. Denis Scholz (DFG, 2013 – 2017)
• Multi-proxy reconstruction of Holocene and Late Glacial climate variability using precisely dated speleothems from the Herbstlabyrinth, central Germany, PI Prof. Dr. Denis Scholz (DFG, 2011 – 2015)
• Application of Laser Ablation Multi Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA MC ICPMS) for ²³⁰Th/U-dating of speleothems and paleoclimate reconstruction, PI Prof. Dr. Denis Scholz (DFG, 2008 – 2009)
• Seasonality and interannual to centennial climate variability in the Caribbean during the last interglacial – Combining coral records, stalagmite records and climate models (CaribClim), PIs Dr. Thomas Felis, Prof. Dr. Gerrit Lohmann, Prof. Dr. Augusto Mangini and Prof. Dr. Denis Scholz (DFG, SPP 1266 “Integrated Analysis of Interglacial Climate Dynamics”, 2007 – 2017)

1. M.Sc_Apparative Analytik
   Instructor: Prof. Dr. Philip Pogge von Strandmann; Univ.-Prof. Dr. Denis Scholz; Dr. Michael Weber
2. M.Sc_Geländeübung Isotopengeologie
   Instructor: Prof. Dr. Philip Pogge von Strandmann; Univ.-Prof. Dr. Denis Scholz
3. M.Sc_Isotopengeologie Seminar
   Instructor: Prof. Dr. Philip Pogge von Strandmann; Univ.-Prof. Dr. Denis Scholz
4. M.Sc_Projektarbeit Isotopengeologie
   Instructor: Prof. Dr. Philip Pogge von Strandmann; Univ.-Prof. Dr. Denis Scholz
5. Paläoklima (Vorl.)
   Instructor: Prof. Dr. Philip Pogge von Strandmann; Univ.-Prof. Dr. Denis Scholz

SoSe 2026