Northeastern Germany, where the GFZ-run observatory TERENO-NE is situated, is one of the regions in Germany most vulnerable to global change. The main research foci are to understand the regional impact of global change on the Earth’s surface and near-subsurface (landscape evolution, hydrology and carbon budget) and, in turn, the influence of the Earth’s surface on atmosphere and climate via greenhouse gas fluxes. Current observations through extensive monitoring are linked with long-term proxy time series based on paleoclimate archives such as lake sediments and tree ring chronologies. This allows us to evaluate recent trends in the context of long-term temporal variability of the systems at hand. Investigations of long time series of climate change and landscape evolution are based on the hypothesis that observed recent trends can be reliably evaluated only in the context of profound knowledge of long‐term trends and their underlying processes.
The complex relationships and feedback mechanisms of the different parts of the terrestrial systems require an interdisciplinary research approach. Important system variables, which are being monitored within TERENO, include: relocation and exchange processes of water, matter and energy in the groundwater-vegetation-atmosphere system, long-term changes in the structure and functioning of microorganisms, flora and fauna, as well as socioeconomic conditions that must be determined with sufficient temporal and spatial resolution.
The following scientific questions arise:
- Which consequences will the expected climate change have on the groundwater, soils, vegetation and surface waters?
- In which way will the feedbacks mechanisms affect the terrestrial fluxes of water and matter (e.g. feedbacks between land surface and atmosphere)?
- Which direct influences have soil and landuse changes on water balance, soil fertility, biodiversity and regional climate?
- What are the consequences of large anthropogenic interferences (e.g. open mining, deforestation) on terrestrial systems?
The long-term data sets developed in TERENO will significantly foster the validation, advancement and integration of terrestrial models, e.g. groundwater and soil water balance models, regional climate and weather prognostic models, air quality models, runoff and forest/agronomic models as well as diversity and socioeconomical models. Integrated model systems can comprehensively support the management of agronomic and forest ecosystems, e.g. optimization of irrigation systems as well as development of warning systems for extreme weather occurrences and flooding, integrated control systems of water management constructions, and monitoring systems for air, groundwater and surface water quality.
Data management
The working groups in TERENO North-East are supported during the processes of collecting, providing, integrating, managing and exchanging of heterogeneous digital resources. Data Management controls data storage and secures internal and external data access via standardized exchange formats and, thus, data provision in the central TERENO Data Discovery Portal.
Contact: Nils Brinckmann
Geoarchives
Complex data on climate and landscape development are collected. These are combined in order to derive improved predictions for the future. For this purpose, lake sediments and tree year rings, in particular, are analyzed; in addition samples of archaeological and fossil wood material as well as paleosoils are examined.
Contact: Dr. Gerd Helle (Dendrochronologie und -ökologie)
Contact: Dr. Birgit Schröder (Seesedimente und Klimarekonstruktion)
Remote sensing
In the DEMMIN test field data on vegetation, soil and exchange processes between soil and atmosphere are recorded. The terrestrial data are compared with aircraft and satellite-based information from remote sensing. These algorithms can finally be transferred to areas for which there are remote sensing data, but only a few terrestrial data available. This facilitates to efficiently gain regional insights into environmental conditions.
Contact: Dr. Sibylle Itzerott
Geomicrobiology
As part of the Helmholtz Young Investigators GroupMicroCenethe working group geomicrobiology deals with the microbial carbon cycle of peat bogs. Molecular methods are used to identify, quantify and characterize key organisms of the methane cycle of various types of peat bogs. The working group thus contributes to the process understanding of current trace gas flows and creates the basis for interpreting the spread and activity of microbial communities in cores of peat bogs reaching back thousands of years. The aim of the work is to be able to better estimate the influence of microbial communities on the trace gas fluxes in the course of the natural and anthropogenic origin of peat bogs. Study sites are the near-natural, oligo- and mesotrophic kettle moors of the Müritz National Park, the coastal peat bog Hütelmoor as well as the eutrophic polder Zarnekow.
Contact: Prof. Susanne Liebner
Hydrology
In the Great Lake Fürstensee and in its catchment area (Müritz National Park), the dynamics of water and matter moving between running water, sediment and groundwater are examined in detail. In addition, measuring stations are operated at various water gauges in order to monitor the water quality over an extended period of time. In summary, the landscape water balance in the region can be comprehensively stated.
Contact: Dr. Theresa Blume
Helmholtz Young Investigators Group TEAM (Trace Gas Exchange in the Earth–Atmosphere System on Multiple Scales)
Exchange processes between terrestrial systems and the atmosphere are investigated on different temporal and spatial scales. The aim is to improve the understanding of the biological, chemical and physical processes that control the exchange of energy and greenhouse gases between soil, vegetation and atmosphere. The determination of the gas fluxes between the ecosystem and the atmosphere takes place in a rewetted peat bog of the Peene near Zarnekow / Dargun using the so-called eddy covariance method. This micrometeorological method is used both at eddy-towers, as well as by means of helicopter or aircraft rides, in order to examine areas of different sizes.
Contact: Prof. Torsten Sachs
TERENO Data Discovery Portal
All TERENO-NO data can be accessed via the Data Discovery Portal. Further information can be found at www.TERENO.net.
Eddy covariance flux towers
Equipped with sonic anemometers, fast high-precision gas analyzers with open and/or closed measurement path (H2O, CO2, CH)
![[Translate to English:] Klimastationen](/fileadmin/_processed_/e/6/csm_ClimateStation_MNP_cf979190a6.webp)
Meteorological stations
A network of meteorological stations that provide air and ground temperature, relative humidity, air pressure, precipitation, wind direction and speed, incoming and outgoing short- and long-wave radiation
![[Translate to English:] Superconducting Gravimeters](/fileadmin/_processed_/0/e/csm_Gravi_MNP_9043da6cb3.webp)
Water Storage Dynamics
Monitoring the dynamics of water storage by terrestrial in-situ gravimetry
![[Translate to English:] Cosmic Ray Neutron Sensor](/fileadmin/_processed_/2/5/csm_CRNS_Copernicus_d734c265fb.webp)
Cosmic Ray Neutron Sensors
Using cosmic rays and and GNSS reflectometry to measure soil moisture in the ground. It utilises the interaction between cosmic rays and soil to estimate the water content in the soil over large areas.
![[Translate to English:] Groundwater Wells](/fileadmin/_processed_/0/b/csm_Groundwater_Well_27b588a976.webp)
![[Translate to English:] Throughfall Catchment System](/fileadmin/_processed_/0/c/csm_Throughfall_Infrastructure_dae31a944b.webp)
![[Translate to English:] Dendrometer](/fileadmin/_processed_/4/b/csm_Dendrometer_355757ee79.webp)
Within TERENO North-East numerous BSc, MSc, and PhD theses are supervised at the GFZ.
2024
Rasche, Daniel (2024): Cosmic-Ray Neutron Sensing for the estimation of soil moisture : From the atmosphere to the near-surface and to larger depths [Supervisor GFZ: A. Güntner]. https://doi.org/10.25932/publishup-63646
2023
Harfenmeister, Katharina (2023): Agricultural Monitoring of Winter Wheat and Winter Barley Using Sentinel-1 Data. [Supervisor GFZ: S. Itzerott, D. Sprengler] https://doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-19194
Nwosu, Ebuka Canisius (2023): Sedimentary DNA-based reconstruction of cyanobacterial communities from Lake Tiefer See, NE Germany, for the last 11,000 years. [Supervisor GFZ: S. Liebner] https://doi.org/10.25932/publishup-56359
Reich, Marvin (2023): Advances in hydrogravimetry: terrestrial gravimeters as field tools for hydrological applications. [Supervisor GFZ: A. Güntner] https://doi.org/10.25932/publishup-60479
2022
Balting, Daniel (2022): A past, present, future perspective on the European summer climate: A study based on climate proxies, climate observations and climate models (Uni Bremen). https://media.suub.uni-bremen.de/handle/elib/5821
Wilke, Henriette (2022): Integration hochaufgelöster Geoelektrik in die multimethodische Untersuchung von Grundwasserfließsystem und Wasserhaushalt am Beispiel eines Jungmoränengebietes in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. [Supervisor GFZ: T. Blume, A. Güntner] https://doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-16230
Unger, Victoria R. (2022): Microbial community dynamics and methane cycling in rewetted temperate fens. https://doi.org/10.18453/rosdok_id00003627
2020
Mitzscherling, Julia (2020): Microbial communities in submarine permafrost and their response to permafrost degradation and warming. [Supervisor GFZ: S. Liebner, D. Wagner]https://doi.org/10.25932/publishup-47124
Müller, Carolina. (2020): Late Holocene Environmental Reconstructions Using Pollen: from Morphological Spectra to Stable Isotopes. PhD Thesis, Berlin: FU Berlin. http://dx.doi.org/10.17169/refubium-28092
Vallentin, Claudia (2020): Remote Sensing for Precision Agriculture: Yield mapping and delineation of management zones with multispectral satellite imagery and GIS data. [Supervisor GFZ: H. Kaufmann]https://depositonce.tu-berlin.de/handle/11303/12327
2018
Ott, F. (2018): Late Glacial and Holocene climate and environmental evolution in the southern Baltic lowlands derived from varved lake sediments. [Supervisor GFZ: A. Brauer]
2017
Blasch, G. (2017): Multitemporal Soil Pattern Analysis for Organic Matter Estimation at Croplands using Multispectral Satellite Data. Dissertation, Technische Universität Berlin. [Supervisor GFZ: S. Itzerott, D. Spengler/1.4]
Heine, I. (2017): Monitoring of groundwater influenced lakes in northeastern Germany and Poland using remote sensing archive data. Dissertation, Technische Universität Berlin. [Supervisor GFZ: S. Itzerott/1.4 und A. Brauer/5.2]
Herbrich, M. (2017): Einfluss erosionsbedingter Pedogenese auf Wasser- und Stoffbilanzen ackerbaulich genutzter Parabraunerden mittels wägbarer Lysimeter. Dissertation, Universität Potsdam. [Arbeit mit Nutzung der TERENO-NO-Infrastruktur im Quillow-EZG]
Sachße, Hannah (2017): Modeling evapotranspiration over a coastal fen in Mecklenburg and comparison with eddy covariance measurements. BSc Thesis, Universität Potsdam. Schneider, T. (2017): Paläoböden im Teilgebiet Serrahn des Müritz-Nationalparks: Stratigraphie, Genese und landschaftsgeschichtliche Aussage. Masterarbeit, Universität Potsdam. [Supervisor GFZ: K. Kaiser/WVB]
Schulz, L. (2017): Böden und ihr landschaftsgeschichtliches Potenzial in einem „Altwald" (NSG Kiecker, Kreis Uckermark/Brandenburg). Bachelorarbeit, Technische Universität Berlin. [Supervisor GFZ: K. Kaiser/WVB]
Wilken, F. (2017): Monitoring and modeling of soil organic carbon redistribution in small agricultural catchments in the Uckermark region, Germany. Dissertation, Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus-Senftenberg. [Supervisor GFZ: R. Hüttl/WVB]
2016
Baur, J. (2016): Vergleich gemessener und modellierter Regenenergie – Unsicherheiten im grundlegenden Antrieb der Bodenerosion. Bachelorarbeit, Universität Augsburg. [Working with the TERENO-NO infrastructure in the Quillow-EZG]
Breitbach, C. (2016): Geowissenschaftliche Prospektion frühholozäner Baumreste im Giesenschlagsee (Mecklenburgische Seenplatte). Diplomarbeit, Universität Potsdam. [Supervisor GFZ: K. Kaiser/WVB]
Dräger, N. (2016): Holocene climate and environmental variability in NE Germany inferred from annually laminated lake sediments. Dissertation, Universität Potsdam. [Supervisor GFZ: A. Brauer/5.2]
Klos, F. (2016): Kolluvien und Paläoböden im Umfeld des Tiefen Sees bei Hohengüstow (Uckermark) und des Tiefen Sees bei Klocksin (Mecklenburg) als Indikatoren der historischen Bodenerosion. Masterarbeit, Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg. [Supervisor GFZ: K. Kaiser/WVB]
Knuhr, K. (2016): Dendroklimatologische Untersuchungen an Fichten in Süddeutschland. Masterarbeit, Universität Potsdam. [Supervisor GFZ: I. Heinrich/5.2]
2015
Fleischer, F. (2015): Räumliche Variabilität von Kronendurchlass in verschiedenen Beständen des Müritz-Nationalparks. Bachelorarbeit, Martin-Luther Universität Halle-Wittenberg. [Supervisor GFZ: J. Dreibrodt/5.4]
2014
Keller, N. (2014): Die Entwicklung der Mittleren Havel im Jungholozän: Wasserstände und Beziehungen zur Besiedlung. Diplomarbeit, Universität Marburg. [Supervisor GFZ: K. Kaiser/CGR]
Müller, V. (2014): Landschaftsgeschichtliches Potenzial von Boden-Sediment-Sequenzen am Hinnensee, Müritz-Nationalpark. Diplomarbeit, TU Dresden. [Supervisor GFZ: E. Dietze/5.2]
2013
Czymzik, M. (2013): Mid- to Late Holocene flood reconstruction from two varved sediment profiles of pre-alpine Lake Ammersee (southern Germany). Dissertation, Universität Potsdam. [Supervisor GFZ: A. Brauer/5.2]
Graventein, H. (2013): Geomorphologische und sedimentologisch-bodenkundliche Befunde zur Paläohydrologie des Großen Fürstenseer Sees im Müritz-Nationalpark (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern). Diplomarbeit, Universität Marburg. [Supervisor GFZ: K. Kaiser/CGR]
Heupel, K. (2013): Ein Algorithmus zur Selektion optimaler Rapid-Eye Daten zur Unterscheidung von Bodenarten in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Bachelorarbeit, Humboldt-Universität Berlin [Supervisor GFZ: S. Itzerott/1.4]
Klinke, R. (2013): Erfassung von Fruchtarten aus RapidEye Zeitreihendaten im Vergleich verschiedener Klassifikationsverfahren. Diplomarbeit, Universität Potsdam [Supervisor GFZ: S. Itzerott/1.4]
Knorr, A. (2013): Klimasignale in Jahrring- und Zellparametern von Pinus sylvestris in Nord-Polen: Parametervergleich und mehrhundertjährige Rekonstruktion. Diplomarbeit, Universität Potsdam. [Supervisor GFZ: I. Heinrich/5.2]
Pohlmann, S. (2013): Dynamische Klima-Wachstumsverhältnisse entlang eines Bodenfeuchtegradienten am Beispiel von Jahrringbreiten- und Zellmessungen der Eiche am Großen Fürstenseer See im Müritz-Nationalpark (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern). Diplomarbeit, Humboldt-Universität Berlin. [Supervisor GFZ: I. Heinrich/5.2]
Pritzkow, C. (2013): Vergleich der röntgendensitometrischen und der holzanatomischen Holzdichtebestimmung anhand von Zellstrukturmessungen in Pinus sylvestris. Masterarbeit, Universität Potsdam. [Supervisor GFZ: I. Heinrich/5.2]
Spengler, D. (2013): Charakterisierung von Getreidearten aus hyperspektralen Fernerkundungsdaten auf der Basis von 3D-Bestandsmodellen. Dissertation, Technische Universität Berlin. [Supervisor GFZ: H. Kaufmann/1.4]
Steinberg, A. (2013): Determination of real thermal inertia by using multi-temproal thermal remote sensing data. Bachelorarbeit, Universität Potsdam. [Supervisor GFZ: H. Kaufmann, D. Spengler/1.4]
Stender, V. (2013): Aufbau einer Dateninfrastruktur für Sensordaten im Umweltmonitoringsystem TERENO Nordost. Masterarbeit, Hochschule Anhalt. [Supervisor GFZ: J. Klump/CeGIT]
2012
Dreibrodt, J. (2012): Groundwater modeling at Lake Fürstensee ( Mecklenburg-Vorpommern). Masterarbeit, Universität Göttingen. [Supervisor GFZ: T. Blume/5.4]
Koch, P. (2012): Seespiegeldynamik in Nordostdeutschland im Bereich der mecklenburgischen-brandenburgischen Seenplatte: Trends, Ursachen, Auswirkungen. Diplomarbeit, Universität Marburg. [Supervisor GFZ: K. Kaiser/CGR]
Tillack, A. (2012): Estimation of seasonal leaf area index in an alluvial forest using high resolution satellite-based vegetation indices. Masterarbeit, Technische Universität Berlin. [Supervisor GFZ: A. Clasen/1.4]
2011
Pieper, H. (2011): Der Einfluss von Vulkanausbrüchen auf das Wachstum mitteleuropäischer Bäume in Nordostdeutschland während des letzten Millenniums. Diplomarbeit, Universität Potsdam. [Supervisor GFZ: I. Heinrich/5.2]
2010
Dreibrodt, J. (2010): Historische hydrologische Veränderungen im Einzugsgebiet des Großen Fürstenseer Sees bei Neustrelitz, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Bachelorarbeit, Universität Potsdam. [Supervisor GFZ: A. Brauer/5.2]
The cooperation in the observatories goes beyond the participating six Helmholtz centers, further non-University research institutions and Universities are involved. The GFZ cooperates in particular with the following other bodies:
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF)
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)
- German Archaeological Institute (DAI)
- Humboldt-University Berlin
- Technische University Berlin
- Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg
- University Greifswald
- University Potsdam
- University Rostock
- Polish Academy of Sciences
