DepartmentInterface Geochemistry
OrganizationUniversity of Leeds
Emailbenning@gfz-potsdam.de
Phone+49-331-288-28970
AddressTelegrafenberg
Potsdam , Brandenburg 14473GermanyBiohttp://homepages.see.leeds.ac.uk/~earlgb/CV.htm
Science Specialties
biogeochemistry, glacial geochemistry, microbiology, high resolution micro-spectroscopy
Current Research
We focus on evaluating mineral transformations in iceberg and glacial meltwaters to quantify the global element cycle. This includes bio-geo weathering and microbial succession in glacial forefields, bio-colonisation of snow and ice, the genomic makeup of algae on snow and ice,. In a large international project we currently focus on and the effects that all kinds of inorganic or biological particulates have on albedo. This includes the role and contributions of aerosols to the processes on the Greenland Ice Sheet as well as the molecular level microbe-particulate interactions assessed through complementary ‘omics’ of the microbial communities and high resolution microscopy and spectroscopy of all particulates.