Bichlersee, Rosenheim/Bayern.

Maximilian Prochnow

Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter / Research associate
Bichlersee, Rosenheim/Bayern.
Foto: M. Prochnow
Maximilian Prochnow
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Lehrstuhl Physische Geographie
Maximilian Prochnow
Foto: Maximilian Prochnow
Raum 214
Löbdergraben 32
07743 Jena Google Maps – LageplanExterner Link
Sprechzeiten:
Dienstag, 10 bis 11 Uhr nach Vereinbarung

About me

I’m a Physical Geographer and I’m interested in the paleoclimatic and -environmental history in the European Alps. I work with lake sediments from Southern Germany, Switzerland and Nepal. My current focus is on the climate history and landscape developement of the European Alps during the Late Glacial and Holocene. My research is based on "classical" organic and inorganic geochemical proxies as well as lipid biomarker and compound-specific stable isotope analyses (combining δ2Hn-alkanes and δ18Osugars) for paleohydrological reconstructions. I'm also working with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and fecal biomarkers to reconstruct human impact such as fire activity and pastoralism since the Neolithic. I have experience in using GC-irMS and GC-MS.

My PhD-project is founded through a PhD scholarship (Landesgraduiertenstipendium 2022) by the federal state of Thuringia and by the German Research Foundation (Grant 538367707, ZE 860/10-1). I was associated researcher in the DFG graduate school TransTIPExterner Link.

I love teaching students about General Physical Geography and Quaternary Climate Change. That includes seminars, lab courses, field trips and sometimes lectures.

  • Short CV

    since 05.2024
    Research associate within the project "Mid and Late Holocene climate and environmental history based on lipid biomarkers from Moossee, Switzerland" (DFG-grant, No. 538367707, PI: R. Zech)

    since 10.2023
    Elected representative of the "Mittelbau" (scientific staff) of the Institute for Geography

    since 12.2022
    Research associate at the Chair of Physical Geography

    since 11.2022
    PhD student at the Chair of Physical Geography (PhD scholarship: Landesgraduiertenstipendium 2022)
    Project title: Late Quaternary climate, human and landscape history in the European Alps based on biomarker and stable isotope analyses

    10.2022
    Graduation "First State Examination Teacher Education" Geography and German at FSU Jena
    Final thesis: Late Quaternary climate history based on biomarker and stable isotope analyses from Lake Bichlersee

    07.2022 – 02.2023
    Participant in the FSU-founded Honours Program for Future Researchers

    06.2020 – 11.2022
    Student assistant at the Chair of Physical Geography

    04.2019 – 08.2022
    Tutor for Physical Geography with Roland Zech and Beate Michalzik

    10.2017 – 10.2022
    Studies in Geography and German Language at FSU Jena

    05.2017
    Abitur at G. E. Lessing-Gymnasium Hohenstein-Ernstthal

  • Research Interests and Regions

    Research Interests:

    • Quaternary Paleoclimate: Paleohydrology during the Holocene and in context of abrupt climate change during the Late Glacial 
    • Quaternary Paleoenvironment: Human impact on high mountain landscapes during the Holocene
    • Methods: Lipid biomarkers and compound-specific stable isotopes
    • Geomorphology

     Research Regions:

    • Southern Germany, European Alps, Mongolia, Nepal
  • Publications

    (*as first author)

    2024

    • Prochnow, M.*, K. Dulias, P. Strobel, M. Bliedtner, G. Daut, S. Szidat, G. Salazar, F. Lechleitner, S. Acharya, R. Abarca, A. Schwarz, A. Schwalb, R. Zech: Late Holocene hydroclimatic and environmental dynamics in the northern Alps based on a multi-proxy record from Schliersee. In review in Quaternary Science Reviews.
    • Acharya, S., P. Strobel, M. Prochnow, S. Taut, M. Zech, A. Schwalb, R. Zech: Paleoclimate, paleoenvironment, and human impact over the last 400 years based on lipid biomarkers from Lake Höglwörth, Germany. In review in Quaternary Science Advances.

    2023

      • Prochnow, M.*, P. Strobel, M. Bliedtner, J. Struck, L. Bittner, S. Szidat, G. Salazar, H. Schneider, S. Acharya, M. Zech, R. Zech (2023): Summer paleohydrology during the Late Glacial and Early Holocene based on δ2H and δ18O from Bichlersee, Bavaria. Scientific Reports 13, 18487. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-45754-4Externer Link
      • Bliedtner, M., P. Strobel, J. Struck, M. Prochnow, E. Bazarradnaa, R. Zech (2023): Mid to Late Holocene moisture evolution of semi-arid Mongolia and its anti-phase relationship with monsoonal Asia. – Quaternary Science Reviews 313, 108201. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108201Externer Link
      • Acharya, S., R. Zech, P. Strobel, M. Bliedtner, M. Prochnow, C. De Jonge (2023): Environmental controls on the distribution of GDGT molecules in Lake Höglwörth, Southern Germany. – Organic Geochemistry 186, 104689. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orggeochem.2023.104689Externer Link
      • Acharya, S., M. Prochnow, T. Kasper, L. Langhans, P. Frenzel, P. Strobel, M. Bliedtner, G. Daut, C. Berndt, S. Szidat, G. Salazar, A. Schwalb, R. Zech: A 1000-year multi-proxy paleoenvironmental record from Lake Höglwörth, Bavaria, Germany. – E&G Quaternary Science Journal 72, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-72-219-2023Externer Link
  • Conference Contributions

    (*corresponding author)

    04.2024 – General Assambly European Geoscience Union (EGU) in Vienna, Austria:

    • Prochnow, M.*, K. Dulias, P. Strobel, M. Bliedtner, G. Daut, S. Szidat, G. Salazar, S. Acharya, R. Abarca, A. Schwarz, A. Schwalb, R. Zech: Late Holocene hydroclimate dynamics in the northern Alps based on compound-specific δ2H from Schliersee, Germany. Presentation. DOI: 10.5194/egusphere-egu24-5205
    • Rittmeier, L., M. Prochnow*, P. Strobel, M. Bliedtner, F. Rey, W. Tinner, R. Zech: Refining Holocene environmental change and human impacts at Moossee, Switzerland, by exploring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as innovative proxies for paleofire. Poster. DOI: 10.5194/egusphere-egu24-16656
    • Acharya, S., D. Rana, M. Prochnow, K. Dulias, B. Dawadi, A. Schwalb, R. Zech: A Paleoenvironmental record from Lake Gosainkunda, Nepal. Poster. DOI: 10.5194/egusphere-egu24-18320
    • Danius, L.M., P. Strobel, M. Prochnow, R. Zech, M. Bliedtner: An 8 ka record of drought and fire dynamics in the southern European Alps based on biomarker analyses. Poster. DOI: 10.5194/egusphere-egu24-15781

    10.2023 – Arbeitsgemeinschaft Alpen Vorland Quartär (AGAQ) in Altaussee, Austria: 

    • Prochnow, M.*: Biomarker and stable isotope analyses based on lake sediments from the Alps: First results from Bichlersee Schliersee. Oral presentation.

    09.2023 – GASIR (German Ass. Stable Isotopes) 2023 at University Bayreuth

    09.2022 – DEUQUA 2022 at Geoforschungszentrum (GFZ) Potsdam:

    • Prochnow, M.*, M. Bliedtner, P. Strobel, J. Struck, L. Bittner, H. Schneider, S. Acharya, M. Zech, R. Zech: Paleohydrological evolution during the Late Glacial based on compound-specific δ2H and δ18O analyses from Bichlersee, Bavarian Alps. Poster. Downloadpdf, 5 mb

    08.2022 – 36th Congress of the International Society of Limnology in Berlin:

    • Acharya, S., P. Strobel, L. Langhans, P. Frenzel, M. Bliedtner, M. Prochnow, C. Berndt, T. Kasper, A. Schwalb, R. Zech: Human – environment interaction during the last millennium: A multi-proxy sediment record from Lake Höglwörth, Bavaria. Presentation.

    07.2022 – TransTip Summer School 2022 in Waldachtal/Black Forest

    • Acharya, S., L. Langhans, P. Strobel, P. Frenzel, M. Bliedtner, M. Prochnow, C. Berndt, T. Kasper, A. Schwalb, R. Zech: Anthropogenic impacts during the last millennium: A multi-proxy paleoenvironmental study from Lake Höglwörth, Bavaria, Germany. Poster.

    06.2022 – 39th Meeting of the German Working Group Paleopedology (AGPP) in Jena

    09.2021 – GASIR (German Ass. Stable Isotopes) 2021 at TU Darmstadt (virtual):

    • Prochnow, M.*, M. Bliedtner, J. Struck, P. Strobel, M. Zech & R. Zech (2021): Ein spätglazialer δ2Hn-alkane-Record vom Bichlersee, Oberbayern. Poster & Talk.
  • Field Experience

    09.2023
    European Alps and Mediterranean (Bavarian Lakes, Großglockner, Triglav National Park, Triest, Lake Garda, Bergamo, Aosta Valley, Swiss Plateau) Master-Student Field Trip (GEOG 437) co-supervised with Roland Zech

    06.2023
    Southern Germany Bachelor-Student Field Trip (GEOG 237) co-supervised with Roland Zech

    05.2023
    Longcoring at Lake Pusiano (Brianza, Italy) with Marcel Bliedtner and Paul Strobel

    04.2023
    Shortcoring and seismic investigations at Lakes south of Lake Como (Brianza, Italy) with Marcel Bliedtner and Paul Strobel

    11.2022
    Geoelectric investigations at Höglwörth (Bavaria) with Sudip Acharya and Roland Zech (TransTip)

    09.2022
    Shortcoring and seismic investigations at Gosainkunda (Nepal) with Roland Zech (TransTip)

    06.2022
    Southern Germany Bachelor-Student Field Trip (GEOG 237) together with Gerhard Daut

    04.2022
    Longcoring campaign at Schliersee (Bavaria) with Roland Zech (TransTip)

    09.2021
    Shortcoring and seismic investigations at Schliersee and Tinninger See (Bavaria) with Roland Zech (TransTip)

    06.2021
    Rainfall and soil erosion experiment Nossen (Saxony) with Lea Epple

  • Teaching

    Current summer term 2024:

    • GEOG 237: Field Trip Physical Geography of Germany – Southern Germany (B. Sc.)
    • GEOG 542: Preperation Seminar State Examination Physical Geography (Teacher education program)

    Winter term 2023:

    • GEOG 531: Research Project II with Biomarker-Labcourse (M. Sc.)
    • GEOG 431: Climate and Environmental Change (M. Sc.)
    • GEOG 542: Preperation Seminar State Examination Physical Geography (Teacher education program)

    Summer term 2023:

    • GEOG 237: Field Trip Physical Geography of Germany – Southern Germany (B. Sc.)
    • GEOG 437: Regional Climate and Environmental change – Field Trip Alps and Mediterranean (M. Sc.)
    • GEOG 436: Special Topics in Physical Geography (Teacher education program)
    • GEOG 542: Preperation Seminar State Examination Physical Geography (Teacher education program)

    Winter term 2022:

    • GEOG 531: Research Project II with Biomarker-Labcourse (M. Sc.)
    • GEOG 431: Climate and Environmental Change (M. Sc.)
    • GEOG 333: Research Seminar Physical Geography (B. Sc.)
    • GEOG 231: Physical Geography of Germany (B. Sc.)

    Summer term 2022:

    • GEOG 436: Special Topics in Physical Geography (Teacher education program)
    • GEOG 237: Field Trip Physical Geography of Germany – Southern Germany (B. Sc.)

    As a assistant for Physical Geography until summer term 2022:

    • GEOG 531: Research Project II with Biomarker-Labcourse (M. Sc.)
    • GEOG 431: Climate and Environmental Change (M. Sc.)
    • GEOG 231: Physical Geography of Germany (B. Sc.)
    • GEOG 132: Physical Geography and Soil Science: Lithosphere, Geomorphology, Pedosphere (B. Sc. & Teacher education program)
    • GEOG 131: Physical Geography and Soil Science: Atmosphere, Biosphere, Hydrosphere (B. Sc. & Teacher education program)
  • Supervised/Co-supervised student theses

    Supervised student theses

    • 02.2024: Line Rittmeier: Biomarkeranalysen an spätquartären Seesedimenten des Moossees im Schweizer Mittelland (StEx)
    • 04.2023: Flavio Zago: 1.5 ka climate reconstruction at Moossee, Switzerland (M. Sc.) 
    • 08.2022: Moritz Mäding: Stable isotope analyses on Mid-Holocene lake sediments from Moossee, Switzerland (StEx) (with J. Struck)

    Co-supervised student theses

    • 02.2024: Thomas Barthel: Chancen und Risiken von Radiation Management für die Stadt Jena (StEx)
    • 06.2022: Annemarie Bach: Biomarkeranalysen an Seesedimenten vom Moossee, Schweiz (B. Sc.) (with M. Bliedtner)
  • Functions
    • Lab supervisor for biomarker analyses
    • Moodle-Course-Administration Physical Geography
    • Webmaster Homepage Physical Geography
    • Examiner Physical Geography
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