Dr Paul Eizenhoefer
- Senior Lecturer (School of Geographical & Earth Sciences)
email:
Paul.Eizenhoefer@glasgow.ac.uk
pronouns:
He/him/his
Molema Building, Room 522, G12 8QQ
Biography
- 2024 — present
Senior Lecturer / Associate Professor — University of Glasgow, Scotland
Computational Geoscience - 2022 — 2024
Lecturer / Assistant Professor — University of Glasgow, Scotland
Computational Geoscience - 2018 — 2022
Wissenschaftl. Mitarbeiter (Post-Doc) — Universität Tübingen, Germany
Cenozoic evolution of the Alps
PI’s: Dr. Paul R. Eizenhöfer, Dr. Christoph Glotzbach, Prof. Jonas Kley - 2015 — 2018
Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellow — University of Pittsburgh, USA
Evolution of the eastern Himalayan fold-thrust belt
Host: Prof. Nadine McQuarrie - 2014 — 2015
Research Assistant — The University of Hong Kong, China
Permian/Triassic closure of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean in East Asia
Advisor: Prof. Guochun Zhao - 2010 — 2014
The University of Hong Kong, China — PhD in Geology (December 2, 2015)
Permian/Triassic closure of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean in East Asia
Supervisor: Prof. Guochun. Zhao - 2005 — 2010
Heidelberg University, Germany — Diploma (~MSc) in Geology
Thermochronology on the North China Craton
Supervisor: Prof. U.A. Glasmacher - 2003 — 2005
Heidelberg University, Germany — Undergraduate in Physics
Research interests
As an Earth scientist I adopt multidisciplinary approaches integrating empirical and numerical methods in structural geology, thermochronology and geomorphology to improve our understanding of geodynamic processes in the Earth System framework. Currently, I study the evolution of the Himalayan-Alpine orogenic belt by quantifying and reconstructing fault motion, surface processes, exhumation, foreland basin development and landscape evolution. I aim to identify potential feedbacks between tectonics, surface processes and climate by exploring source-to-sink relationships and quantify magnitudes of external forcings on the geologic and geomorphic record caused by tectonic and climatic variability. Furthermore, my research focusses on (i) the tectonic evolution of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt, more specifically the late Palaeozoic to early Mesozoic closure of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean, (ii) the Cenozoic tectonic and exhumation history of Central Asia with respect to regional climatic change, and (iii) numerical approaches to quantify landscape evolution over geologic time.
Grants
- 2025 - 2026
The Carnegie Trust (£15k)
Synthesis of Climatic and Tectonic Drivers of Intracontinental Landscape Evolution - 2024 - 2026
The Royal Society & National Natural Science Foundation China (£24k)
Reconstruction of the exhumation history of the Gongga Shan in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau - 2020 – 2025
German Science Foundation / DFG (~£250k)
Quantifying the Effects of Mantle Processes and Climate Variability on Hinterland Denudation in the Central and Eastern Alps since the Oligocene (Mountain Building Processes in Four Dimensions / 4D-MB Priority Program) - 2016 – 2018
Alexander-von-Humboldt Foundation
Feodor-Lynen Postdoctoral Fellowship - 2010-2014
The University of Hong Kong
PhD Fellowship
Supervision
Active Projects
MSc by Research
- The Impact of Glacial Retreat on the Geomorphology of the Black Sea Region (Ciara Fallon)
PhD Research
- Quantifying drivers of exhumation and landscape responses to tectonic and climatic variability in the Tian Shan region (Chang Zhong)
Postdoctoral Research
- Quantifying the Effects of Mantle Processes and Climate Variability on Hinterland Denudation in the Central and Eastern Alps since the Oligocene (Dr. David Oakley)
- Experimentally defining the effect of deformation on metamorphism (Dr. James Gilgannon)
Available Projects (please contact me for details)
PhD
- Statistical Emulation for Landscape Evolution Models
(in collaboration with Dr. Benn Macdonald and Dr. Mu Niu, School of Mathematics and Statistics / Univ. Glasgow) - Tracing the Impact of Rapid Mountain Formation on the Evolution of Biodiversity in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau
(in collaboration with Prof. Xiaoming Shen, National Institute of Natural Hazards Beijing / China) - Landscapes and Life: Identifying tectonic and climate drivers of biodiversity on Earth
(in collaboration with Dr. Shan Huang, Univ. Birmingham / UK, and Dr. Maud Meijers, Univ. Graz / Austria) - Relict Landscapes as Archives of Past Climatic and Tectonic Conditions
(in collaboration with Dr. Fiona Clubb and Prof. Mark Allen, Univ. Durham / UK) - Synthesis of Climatic and Tectonic Drivers of Intracontinental Landscape Evolution (samples available, analysis costs covered; smaller-scale MSc by Research project possible)
- Quantifying Sedimentary Responses to Neogene Hinterland Denudation in the Eastern Himalaya, Bhutan
(in collaboration with Prof. Nadine McQuarrie, Univ. Pittsburgh / USA) - Mapping the resilience of Scottish flora to climate change using high-resolution, multispectral UAV
(MSc by Research possible, in collaboration with Dr. Rea Laila Antoniou Kourounioti, School of Molecular Biosciences / Univ. Glasgow) - Investigating Plume-Lithosphere-Surface Processes Interactions across Craton Margins
(in collaboration with Dr. Antoniette Grima & Dr. Mark Wildman, Univ. Glasgow) - Quantifying Climatic and Tectonic Controls on the Cenozoic Evolution of the Greater Caucasus
MSc by Research
- Thermo-kinematic Evolution of the Southern European Alps
(in collaboration with Dr. Hannah Pomella, Univ. Innsbruck / Austria & Sarah Falkowski, UofG) - How do changes in climate and/or tectonics drive biodiversity?
(in collaboration with Dr. Rea Laila Antoniou Kourounioti, School of Molecular Biosciences / Univ. Glasgow and Dr. Sebastian Mutz, Univ. Glasgow) - Evolution of Fluvial Systems – Nature vs. Model
(in collaboration with Dr. Amanda Owen, School of Geographical & Earth Sciences)
- Fallon, Ciara
The Impact of Glacial Retreat on the Geomorphology of the Black Sea Region - Zhong, Chang
Quantifying drivers of exhumation and landscape responses to tectonic and climatic variability in the Tian Shan region
Completed MSci Projects
- Aidan Phillips (2023). An uplifting tale: isolating the role of tectonic activity in the landscape evolution of the Rwenzori Mountains, East Africa (MSci dissertation, University of Glasgow / Scotland)
- Iina Männistö (2023). Topographic analysis and the influence of climate in the landscape evolution of the Rwenzori Mountains (MSci dissertation, University of Glasgow / Scotland)
Completed BSc Projects
- Huda Muhktar (2023): Accessing Tectonic and Climatic Archives of Relict Landscapes in West-Africa (IAPETUS2 Research Placement Scheme)
- Julius Konietzko (2022). Linking low-temperature cooling paths to tectonics-driven exhumation in the Eastern Alps along EASI (BSc thesis, University of Tübingen / Germany)
- Victoria Schwarz (2022). Kinematic Evolution of the Molasse Fold-thrust Belt along the EASI Geophysical Transect in the Eastern Alps (BSc thesis, University of Tübingen / Germany)
Teaching
BSc Geology, Environmental Geoscience & Geography
- Head of Level 1 Earth Science (EARTH1001 / EARTH1002)
Honours Level
- Structural Geology and Basin Resources (EARTH4094)
- Landscape Dynamics (EARTH4090)
MSc Geography
- Topographic Modelling & Landscape Monitoring (GEOG5025)
- Modelling of Landscape Evolution (EARTH5015)