About “Matthias Leopold”

Matthias Leopold is a soil geomorphologist focussing on soils and their properties for a better understanding of landscape evolution and soil functions. Frequently used methods of his studies include soil and geomorphic mapping, shallow geophysics, various sedimentological and geochemical laboratory methods including XRD for minerology. He is based at the School of Agriculture and Envirnment where he currently acts as Department Head for Environmental Science. Matthias integrates knowledge from pedology and geoscience to study and to understand near surface processes at various scales and environments. Thus, he develops 2D and 3D subsurface models using geophysical methods, to characterise vertical and horizontal differences in the upper meters including soils. Portraying the complexity of the subsurface, recently known in science as the“critical zone”, allows statements about possible rooting depths, hydrological flowpaths, material composition, thickness variations of soil horizons and geomorphic layers – information highly wanted by agriculture, forestry, geography and engineering as well as archaeology. Adding numerical dating techniques such as OSL and radiocarbon towards stratigraphic sections, allows developing chronostratigraphic units in order to describe past landscape evolution – valuable knowledge for nowadays environmental development concepts.