Ethiopian Landscape Evolution
Uncovering the secrets of Ethiopia’s forests in past and present: how geological processes and changes in hydrology (re-)shaped the ecosystem of northeast Africa
Climate change is challenging humans and ecosystems, for instance by extreme rainfalls or droughts. In the geologic past climate change on a continental or regional scale was caused through plate movement and topographic evolution altering atmospheric circulation pattern, for example by building barriers with high mountain ranges. Northeast Africa’s climate transformed when rapid plate movement formed new oceans and highlands. In this project the stable isotopic composition of modern surface waters and plants in Ethiopia were mapped to understand the interplay between topography, climate and vegetation zonation. Additionally, plant and microbial biomarkers from sedimentary deposits are applyed to reconstruct the interplay between climate and highland formation and their impact on northeast Africa’s ecosystem.