Prof. Dr. Nikolaus J. Kuhn

From process to planets

Processes, such as wind and water erosion, acting on the surface of Earth and other planets are the agents of environmental change. Human activities often change, at least on Earth, these rates or the processes themselves, causing environmental change. Therefore, understanding both the processes, but also their impact on the local, regional and global environment is essential to assess the relevance of human activities on the environment. My research interests therefore combine the study of processes and their controlling factors, as well as tools to upscale the effect of changing processes and their rates on the environment. For example, the combination of climate and land use change leaves rangelands exposed to an increased risk of erosion. Key questions are whether such erosion destroys soils locally, impacts environmental and human health regionally and affects global cycles, such as nutrients and carbon, globally. Our group has therefore developed a suite of tools, ranging from lab experiments, the use of UAVs to the analysis of satellite data, that connect the different scales. This expertise in the study and connection of processes and landforms has also raised the interest of the planetary science community, leading to a participation in space missions such as the European Space Agency's ExoMars mission.