Physical Geography and Earth System Interactions
We investigate the functioning of the most important components of the Earth system and their interactions.
Working Groups
Chair for Physical Geography and Land Use Systems
The Chair for Physical Geography and Land Use Systems of Prof. Dr. Julia Pongratz researches the human influence on vegetation and climate. A key focus lies on the global carbon cycle.
Professorship for Physical Geography and Land-Atmosphere Coupling
The Professorship for Physical Geography and Land-Atmosphere Coupling of Prof. Dr. Mirjana Sakradzija researches interactions between land and atmosphere.
Professorship for Physical Geography with focus on Oceanography
The Professorship for Physical Geography with focus on Oceanography of Prof. Dr. Alexander Haumann researches the role of the Southern Ocean in mitigating global climate change in the past, present, and future.
Working group Geomorphology
The Working group Geomorphology of Prof. Dr. Carola Küfmann's working group focuses on the quantification of land-forming processes, their related landforms and substrata.
The teaching and research unit's main focus is the influence of humans on the Earth system through climate change and land use, from changes in the regional and global energy, water, and carbon cycles of the atmosphere, the land, the cryosphere, and the ocean, as well as feedbacks within this system. The teaching and research unit “Physical Geography and Earth System Interactions” excels in a wide range of methodologies, from global climate, regional and process modeling to laboratory experiments and field measurements to investigate physical, biogeochemical, and ecosystem processes.
These research topics also find their way into teaching. Here, we aim at assessing the main drivers of global change and revealing interactions between climate, humans, and the Earth System. We provide the methodological tools to understand and quantify them. The research and teaching unit furthermore hosts didactics of geography, which is essential for the training of teachers at a wide range of types of schools.
News
Global Carbon Budget 2025: Fall in land use emissions
The new report from the Global Carbon Project shows that total CO2 emissions from fossil fuel use and land use changes have risen more slowly over the past ten years.
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Julia Pongratz among the “Highly Cited Researchers” 2025
According to a recent international publication analysis, the scientist ranks among the most successful in her field.
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New study in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment on CO₂ fluxes from land use
A team led by LMU researchers shows why CO₂ fluxes from land use are so difficult to quantify—and how they can be estimated more accurately in the future.
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Administration Office
Assistant to the chair of Professor Julia Pongratz
Third-party funding, staff recruitment, planning, and workshop organization
Floor plan
You will find the Chair of Geography and Land Use Systems on the 2nd floor at Luisenstraße 37.
You can also use the new LMU Room Finder.