Birgit Terhorst

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Birgit Terhorst is Professor of Physical Geography and Soil Science at the Institute of Geography and Geology, University of Würzburg, where she has held this position since 2008. She serves as the trusted advisor for the German Research Foundation (DFG), Women's Representative of the Philosophical Faculty, and member of the doctoral committee of the Philosophical Faculty. Her research focuses on soil geography, landscape development, and natural hazards with a particular emphasis on Quaternary processes.

Professor Terhorst's research interests span multiple interconnected fields including soil geography, landscape change, Quaternary landscape development, natural hazards (particularly slope stability and landslides), loess stratigraphy, and paleosols. Her work integrates field studies with laboratory analyses to reconstruct past environmental conditions and understand contemporary geomorphological processes. She has made significant contributions to understanding periglacial cover beds, loess-paleosol sequences, and their implications for paleoclimate reconstruction.

Her recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on mid-latitude slope deposits, loess chronology, and climate change impacts on geomorphological processes. The research spans from detailed micromorphological studies of paleosols to large-scale assessments of natural hazards under changing climatic conditions. Her work shows increasing integration of remote sensing, GIS technologies, and interdisciplinary approaches to address complex questions in physical geography and soil science.

• Since 2018: Deputy Chair of the Association for Geography at German-speaking Universities and Research Institutions (VGDH)
• Since 2011: Member of the German Stratigraphic Commission, 'Quaternary Subcommission'
• Since 2007: Chair of the Paleopedology Working Group, German Soil Science Society
• 2014-2018: Co-Editor of the journal 'Landslides', Springer-Verlag
• 2014-2017: Member of the DFG Senate Commission for Future Tasks in Earth Sciences (SK ZAG)

Professor Terhorst leads the Geomorphological-Soil Science Laboratory at the University of Würzburg, which recently expanded with new equipment for measuring carbon and nitrogen in soil samples. Her research group conducts fieldwork in various locations including the university forest (Uniwald), where they study soil carbon storage, retention basins for flood management, and soil hydrological properties. The team collaborates with municipal authorities, other university departments, and international partners on projects addressing climate change adaptation and natural hazard management.