Friedhelm von Blanckenburg

Friedhelm von Blanckenburg is a Professor of Geochemistry of Earth Surface Processes at Freie Universität Berlin. Until September 2023, he led the 'Earth Surface Geochemistry' section at the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam. He has held academic positions at the University of Hannover (2001–2008), University of Bern (1997–2001), and served as a visiting professor at Stanford University (2013–2014) and the Institut de Physique du Globe (Paris, 2014).

Education:

• PhD in Geochemistry/Geochronology, ETH Zürich (1986–1990)
• Diplom in Geology, Technical University of Berlin (1980–1985)

Research Interests: His work focuses on Earth surface processes, cosmogenic nuclide methods, femtosecond laser ablation, and stable isotope applications in geochemistry, paleoclimatology, plant nutrition, and biomedical sciences. He explores how geologic, climatic, and biologic forces shape landscapes, with recent efforts extending methods to life sciences.

Awards & Honors:

• ERC Advanced Grant (2023)
• Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (2018)
• Fellow of the Geochemical Society (2016)
• Ralph Alger Bagnold Medal (2010)
• Membership in German Academy of Sciences (2009) and Berlin-Brandenburg Academy (2015)

Grants & Projects: Leads the ERC-funded 'Devendra' project, investigating vegetation-erosion interactions in weathering processes. His research integrates advanced geochemical techniques with interdisciplinary applications.

Labs & Teams: Former head of GFZ's Earth Surface Geochemistry Section, fostering collaborative research on landscape evolution and isotopic methodologies.