Tobias Lauer

Tobias Lauer serves as Lab Leader of the Terrestrial Sedimentology working group at the Geo- and Environmental Center (GUZ) within the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Tübingen. His research focuses on geochronology, specifically luminescence dating, and its application to quaternary, palaeolithic, and palaeoenvironmental research. He leads the dating and sediment analysis laboratory at GUZ and acts as Principal Investigator for two major research projects: a DFG-funded study on yellow stimulated feldspar luminescence signals (249,350 EUR) and the geochronology component of the Climate Change and Early Humans in the North (CCEHN) project (242,220 EUR).

Lauer's research interests center on unraveling sedimentological systems and understanding how past climatic shifts determined changes in palaeoenvironments. His methodological expertise in optical dating techniques, particularly luminescence and infrared-radiofluorescence dating, has been applied to diverse geological contexts including fluvial deposits, loess sequences, and archaeological sites across Central Europe, Asia, and Africa. His work bridges geological sciences with archaeological investigations to reconstruct past human-environment interactions during the Quaternary period.

Lauer's recent publications reveal strong thematic continuity in quaternary geology, with approximately 70% focusing on luminescence dating methodology and applications, 20% on palaeoenvironmental reconstructions using sediment archives, and 10% on archaeological chronology. His research spans multiple temporal scales from the Middle Pleistocene to the Holocene, with geographic emphasis on Central Europe, the Armenian Highlands, and Central Asia.

Lauer actively contributes to the academic community through extensive review activities for leading journals including Quaternary Science Reviews, PNAS, and Geomorphology, and serves on the editorial board of Quaternary International. He has edited special issues on fluvial system evolution and climatic signals in geomorphological systems. As Secretary of the Fluvial Archives Group (FLAG), he plays a key organizational role in international quaternary research collaboration.

In addition to his research leadership, Lauer supervises students and teaches courses on palaeoenvironmental research, periglacial environments, and soil science. His laboratory at the Geo- and Environmental Center serves as a key facility for dating and sediment analysis within the University of Tübingen's geosciences infrastructure.