Climate change and the associated changes of environmental factors are key research topics at the Faculty of Environmental Sciences. Analyses of sediments can contribute to the reconstruction of the climate during past geological eras and thus be conducive to the prediction of future climate development. Tree ring analyses can provide insights into the growth of trees under changing climatic conditions, and analyses of the age composition of groundwater can facilitate a more sustainable use of this important geo-resource.

Under the direction of Prof. Michael Zech (Heisenberg Chair of Physical Geography with Focus on Paleoenvironmental Research), the Core Facility Environmental Analytics (CFEA), an institution of the Faculty of Environmental Sciences at TU Dresden, hosted a scientific symposium focusing on dating methods in forestry, geosciences and hydrosciences in June. 16 presentations and 20 posters presented analytical fundamentals, methodological optimizations and exemplary applications. The symposium provided an optimal platform for internationally established dating experts and interested early-career researchers to share knowledge and experience, and was attended by 100 participants from nine different countries.

A compendium of dating methods in the environmental sciences is now available on the website of the Core Facility Environmental Analytics. It comprises abstracts of the case studies presented at the symposium as well as fact sheets on the respective analytics and links to corresponding analytical laboratories.

The symposium was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Free State of Saxony as part of the Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments.

More information:
Prof. Michael Zech ()
Core Facility Environmental Analytics ()