Benedikt Bauer

Benedikt Bauer is an Early Career Scientist and Doctoral Researcher at GEOMAR - Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, working within Research Division 4: Dynamics of the Ocean Floor and the Marine Geodynamics Research Unit since September 2024. His research focuses on volcano-tectonic processes at mid-ocean ridges, seismic tomography, and numerical modeling of landslide-generated tsunamis.

Dr. Bauer's primary research interests span several key areas in marine geophysics and geodynamics. His work on volcano-tectonic processes investigates the complex interactions between volcanic and tectonic activity at mid-ocean ridges, which are crucial for understanding seafloor spreading and plate tectonics. In seismic tomography and full waveform inversion, he employs advanced geophysical techniques to image Earth's interior structure beneath the ocean floor. His numerical modeling research focuses on simulating landslide-generated tsunamis, particularly in regions like the Santorini volcanic complex in Greece.

As a doctoral researcher in the T-SECTOR project (Testing Solid Earth Climate Connections Through mid Ocean Ridge Time Series), funded by an ERC Synergy Grant in collaboration with Harvard University, Dr. Bauer contributes to cutting-edge research connecting solid Earth processes with climate dynamics. His fieldwork includes participation in numerous research expeditions across the world's oceans, where he has served in leadership roles for hydroacoustic and seismic instrumentation teams.

Dr. Bauer's research program involves extensive seagoing activities, having participated in over ten research expeditions since 2022 on vessels including RV Sonne, RV Meteor, and RV Maria S. Merian. His expedition work spans diverse oceanic regions from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge to the Chilean subduction zone, focusing on seismic methods, potential field measurements, and seafloor mapping to investigate crustal structure and tectonic processes.

Dr. Bauer completed his M.Sc. in Geophysics at Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel (2021-2024), where his thesis focused on numerical modeling of potential landslide-generated tsunamis offshore Santorini, Greece. Prior to that, he earned his B.Sc. in Physics from Augsburg University (2018-2021), with a thesis on ultrasonic methods for measuring snow properties conducted at the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research in Davos, Switzerland.