Georg Feulner

Georg Feulner is a Deputy Head of Research Department and leader of the Working Group "Past and Future Earth" at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). He is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Potsdam since 2025, having previously obtained his Habilitation in climate physics in 2018 and being appointed as Privatdozent in 2022. Feulner holds a master's degree in applied mathematics and theoretical physics from the University of Cambridge and a diploma in physics from the University of Munich, where he also earned his PhD in physics in 2004 with a thesis in observational cosmology.

Feulner's research focuses on climate modeling, deep-time paleoclimatology (particularly the climate on early Earth, Snowball Earth episodes, past greenhouse climates, and climate changes during mass-extinction events), as well as present and future climate change. He is particularly interested in planetary habitability, the co-evolution of Earth's climate and the biosphere, and past hothouse climate states and their relevance for our future in a warming world. His research methodology primarily relies on numerical models of the coupled Earth system, complemented by data analysis and theoretical arguments.

His publication record demonstrates significant expertise across paleoclimatology, climate modeling, and Earth system science, with recent work focusing on Snowball Earth dynamics, planetary boundaries, climate tipping elements, and past mass extinction events. With over 80 peer-reviewed publications and a Web of Science citation count of 6,299 (h-index 34 as of August 2025), Feulner has established himself as a leading researcher in his field.

• Web of Science citation summary: 6,299 citations, h-index 34
• ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-9215-5517

Feulner has supervised numerous PhD, MSc, and BSc students, with recent graduates including Julius Eberhard, Moritz Kreuzer, and Louis Lacassagne. His teaching at the University of Potsdam includes regular courses on "Numerical Models in Climate Science" and "Earth's Climate History." He has received recognition for his teaching excellence, winning an Award for Excellent Teaching in 2015.

Feulner is actively involved in major research projects including GOE-DEEP (Gabon and Oxygenation of Earth – Drilling Early Earth Project), Deep Dust (Earth-System Responses to the Penultimate Icehouse Collapse), and MEET (Monitoring Earth Evolution through Time). His current research focuses on understanding past climate transitions and their implications for future climate change, with particular emphasis on critical transitions in Earth's history.