Margret C. Fuchs

• Doctor
• PostDoc Position at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf

A clear understanding of erosion processes is fundamental in order to comprehend the evolution of actively deforming mountain ranges. However, the relative contributions of tectonic and climatic factors and their feedbacks remain highly debated. In order to contribute to the debate, we quantify basin-wide denudation rates from cosmogenic Be-10 conc...

Numerical dating methods in Quaternary science are faced with the need to adequately visualise data consisting of estimates that have differing standard errors. Recent approaches either focus on the display of age frequency distributions that ignore the standard errors or on radial plots, that allow comparisons between estimates allowing for their...

The first version of the R package ‘Luminescence’ was released and published in 2012. Since then, the package has been continuously improved by implementing further measurement protocols, adding age models, and extending functions. In geoscientific applications, luminescence dating requires a series of data processing procedures. A comprehensive an...

Calculated incision rates along the Panj, the main river of the Pamir, are used to investigate any influence by tectonics or climate on the architecture of the river. The depositional ages of Panj river terraces were calculated using optically stimulatedluminescence (OSL) dating of terrace sand. Fluvial incision rates were generated by integrating...

Rock glaciers contain valuable information about the spatial and temporal distribution of permafrost. The wide distribution of these permafrost landforms in high mountains promotes them as useful archives for the deciphering of the environmental conditions during their formation and evolution. Age constrains are needed to unravel the palaeoclimatic...

Fossil proxy records in Last Interglacial (LIG, ca. 130–115 ka) lacustrine thermokarst deposits now preserved in permafrost can provide insights into terrestrial Arctic environments during a period when northern hemisphere climate conditions were warmer than today and which might be considered a potential analog for a near-future warmer Arctic. Sti...

The Alpine Fault in New Zealand is one of the world’s major active crustal-scale faults. It builds the boundary between the Pacific and the Australian plate, and branches into strike-slip faults known as the Marlborough fault system. The northeastern region of the southern island of New Zealand has a historical record of large, shallow earthquakes...

Efficient and sustainable production, recovery and recycling phases of semiconductors (SC) life cycles require non- invasive, inline methods able to identify their composition in material streams. Ideally, the sensor system should be fast and incorporated into conveyor-belt operations. Rapid identification as well as spatial distribution maps would...

Addressing the critical theme of recycling electronic waste (E-waste), this contribution is dedicated to developing advanced automated data processing pipelines as a basis for decision-making and process control. Aligning with the broader goals of the circular economy and the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), our work leverag...

Polymers represent around 25% of total waste from electronic and electric equipment. Any successful recycling process must ensure that polymer-specific functionalities are preserved, to avoid downcycling. This requires a precise characterization of particle compounds moving at high speeds on conveyor belts in processing plants. We present an invest...

Considering the increasing demand for Li-ion batteries, there is a need for sophisticated recycling strategies with both high recovery rates and low costs. Applying optical sensors for automating component detection is a very promising approach because of the non-contact, real-time process monitoring and the potential for complete digitization of m...

Addressing the critical theme of recycling electronic waste (E-waste), this contribution is dedicated to developing advanced automated data processing pipelines as a basis for decision-making and process control. Aligning with the broader goals of the circular economy and the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), our work leverag...

Optical hyperspectral cameras capture the spectral reflectance of materials. Since many materials behave as heterogeneous intimate mixtures with which each photon interacts differently, the relationship between spectral reflectance and material composition is very complex. Quantitative validation of spectral unmixing algorithms requires high-qualit...

We aim to test the potential of luminescence dating to determine the relative activity of three active faults in New Zealand. To this end, we collected four dark-gray, fine to very fine grain-size samples classified as cataclasite and gouge from outcrops situated along the fault traces of the Alpine Fault, Hope Fault, and Hundalee Fault. Through sa...

The presence of undesired background areas associated with potential noise and unknown spectral characteristics degrades the performance of hyperspectral data processing. Masking out unwanted regions is key to addressing this issue. Processing only regions of interest yields notable improvements in terms of computational costs, required memory, and...

In this work, we generated a comprehensive laboratory ground truth dataset of intimately mixed mineral powders. For this, five clay powders (Kaolin, Roof clay, Red clay, mixed clay, and Calcium hydroxide) were mixed homogeneously to prepare 325 samples of 60 binary, 150 ternary, 100 quaternary, and 15 quinary mixtures. Thirteen different hyperspect...

Optical hyperspectral cameras capture the spectral reflectance of materials. Since many materials behave as heterogeneous intimate mixtures with which each photon interacts differently, the relationship between spectral reflectance and material composition is very complex. Quantitative validation of spectral unmixing algorithms requires high-qualit...

In luminescence dating and other dating methods such as Be10, it is crucial to obtain purer quartz samples and prevent contamination from other minerals like feldspar. The conventional approach for separating feldspar and quartz is density centrifugation. However, due feldspar and quartz have similar densities that difficult the separation, we sugg...

Binary sorting between ABS and PS polymers is a challenge for the recycling industry, particularly when black pigments are present. We propose the sequential application of a hyperspectral sensor in the shortwave infrared (HSI-SWIR) and a Raman sensor unit (532 nm excitation). HSI-SWIR created maps which allowed for initial spectral and spatial ass...

Past environmental information is typically inferred from proxy data contained in accretionary sediments. The validity of proxy data and analysis workflows are usually assumed implicitly, with systematic tests and uncertainty estimates restricted to modern analogue studies or reduced-complexity case studies. However, a more generic and consistent a...

The majority of palaeoenvironmental information is inferred from proxy data contained in accretionary sediments, called geo-archives. The validity of proxy data and analysis workflows are usually assumed implicitly, with systematic tests and uncertainty estimates restricted to modern analogue studies or reduced-complexity case studies. However, a m...

With the recurring interest in rare earth elements (REEs), laser-induced fluorescence (LiF) may provide a powerful tool for their rapid and accurate identification at different stages along their value chain. Applications to natural materials such as minerals and rocks could complement the spectroscopy-based toolkit for innovative, non-invasive exp...

Dating of ancient permafrost is essential for understanding long-term permafrost stability and interpreting palaeoenvironmental conditions but presents substantial challenges to geochronology. Here, we apply four methods to permafrost from the megaslump at Batagay, east Siberia: (1) optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of quartz, (2) post...

CO2 release from particulate organic carbon (POC) oxidation during fluvial transit can influence climate over a range of timescales. Identifying the mechanistic controls on such carbon fluxes requires determining where POC oxidation occurs in river systems. While field data show POC oxidation and replacement moving downstream in lowland rivers, flu...

Quantifying the time scales of sediment transport and storage through river systems is fundamental for understanding weathering processes, biogeochemical cycling, and improving watershed management, but measuring sediment transit time is challenging. Here we provide the first systematic test of measuring cosmogenic meteoric Beryllium-10 (10Bem) in...

With the recurring interest on rare-earth elements (REE), laser-induced fluorescence (LiF) may provide a powerful tool for their rapid and accurate identification at different stages along their value chain. Applications to natural materials such as rocks could complement the spectroscopy-based toolkit for innovative, non-invasive exploration techn...

Quantifying the time scales of sediment transport and storage through river systems is fundamental for understanding weathering processes, biogeochemical cycling, and improving watershed management, but measuring sediment transit time is challenging. Here we provide the first systematic test of measuring cosmogenic meteoric Beryllium‐10 (¹⁰Bem) in...

Electronic waste is the fastest growing type of scrap globally and is an important challenge due to its heterogeneity, intrinsic toxicity and potential environmental impact. With an objective of obtaining information on the composition of printed circuit boards (PCBs) through non-invasive analysis to aid in recycling and recovery of precious waste,...

Due to the extensive drilling performed every year in exploration campaigns for the discovery and evaluation of ore deposits, drill-core mapping is becoming an essential step. While valuable mineralogical information is extracted during core logging by on-site geologists, the process is time consuming and dependent on the observer and individual ba...

With the increasing demand for highly autonomous, efficient industrial fabrication , more sophisticated sensor-actor loops are required for process control. Automated, in-line process monitoring tools are already deployed in some high technology fields, such as semiconductor and car manufacturing. However, many industrial sectors, e.g. mining and r...

The temperature evaluation through the measurement of emission intensities (intensity ratio method) require two distinct bands; one of which is used as a reference, and the emission intensity of other is monitored as a function of a change in temperature. Herein, we report the influence of excitation wavelengths, and a coupling scheme between lanth...

Late Quaternary landscapes of unglaciated Beringia were largely shaped by ice-wedge polygon tundra. Ice Complex (IC) strata preserve such ancient polygon formations. Here we report on the Yukagir IC from Bol'shoy Lyakhovsky Island in northeastern Siberia and suggest that new radioisotope disequilibria (230 Th/U) dates of the Yukagir IC peat confirm...

New energy, transport, computer and telecommunication technologies require an increasing supply of rare earth elements (REEs). As a consequence, adequate and robust detection methods become essential for the exploration and discovery of new deposits, the improved characterization of existing deposits and the future recycling of today’s high-tech pr...

Cosmogenic nuclide (CN) dating relies on specific target minerals such as quartz as markers to identify geologic events, including the timing of landscape evolution. The presence of feldspar in sediment samples poses a challenge to the separation of quartz and affects the chemical procedures for extracting the radioactive CNs 10Be and 26Al. Additio...

The relevance of luminescence dating is re- flected by the steadily growing quantity of published data. At the same time, the amount of data available for analysis has increased due to technological and methodological advances. Routinely, luminescence data are analysed using a mixture of commercially available soft- ware, self-written tools and spe...

Syngenetic permafrost deposits formed extensively on and around the arising Beringian subcontinent during the Late Pleistocene sea level lowstands. Syngenetic deposition implies that all material, both mineral and organic, freezes parallel to sedimentation and remains frozen until degradation of the permafrost. Permafrost is therefore a unique arch...

To reconstruct palaeoclimate and palaeoenvironmental conditions in the northeast Siberian Arctic, we studied late Quaternary permafrost at the Oyogos Yar coast (Dmitry Laptev Strait). New infrared-stimulated luminescence ages for distinctive floodplain deposits of the Kuchchugui Suite (112.5 ± 9.6 kyr) and thermokarst-lake deposits of the Krest Yur...

In the last decade, the fast development of technology and high-tech industry distinctly increased the demand of Rare Earth Elements (REEs). The combination with the globally strongly concentrated distribution of production sites classifies REEs as critical raw materials and raises the need for the exploration of complex deposits with lower concent...

The composition of perennially frozen deposits holds information on the palaeo-environment during and following deposition. In this study, we investigate late Pleistocene permafrost at the western coast of the Buor Khaya Peninsula in the south-central Laptev Sea (Siberia), namely the prominent eastern Siberian Yedoma Ice Complex (IC). Two Yedoma IC...

To reconstruct palaeoclimate and palaeonvironmental conditions in the Northeast Siberian Arctic, we studied late Quaternary permafrost deposits at the Oyogos Yar coast (Dmitry Laptev Strait). New infrared stimulated luminescence ages for distinctive floodplain deposits of the Kuchchugui Suite (112.5 ± 9.6 kyr) and thermokarst lake deposits of the K...

Since the release of the R package 'Luminescence' in 2012 the functionality of the package has been greatly enhanced by implementing further functions for measurement data processing, statistical analysis and graphical output. Along with the accompanying increase in complexity of the package, working with the command-line interface of R can be tedi...

Syngenetic permafrost deposits formed extensively on and around the arising Beringian subcontinent during the Late Pleistocene sea level low stands. Syngenetic deposition implies that all material, both mineral and organic, gets frozen parallel to sedimentation and remains frozen until degradation of the permafrost. Permafrost is therefore a unique...

The composition of permafrost deposits holds information on the paleo-environment during and following deposition. Sampling natural exposures and drilling are two methods used to access permafrost archives. In this study, we combine both approaches at the western coast of the Buor Khaya Peninsula in the south-central Laptev Sea (Siberia) to study l...

The R package ’Luminescence’ is constantly evolving in both functionality and usability. One of its greatest potentials, barely yet exploited, is the capability of automated large-scale data processing (’data mining’), paving the way for exploratory analysis of OSL data. Here, we present an exemplary data analysis that makes use of the potential of...

Climate, tectonics and erosion interact in a feedback loop to shape mountain ranges. The importance of individual aspects varies based on timescale and regional settings. In rainfall-runoff dominated regions, like the southern margin of the Himalayas, rainfall is a good predictor for short-term erosion rates. This is because rainfall provides relia...

The understanding of erosion processes is fundamental to study the evolution of actively deforming mountain ranges, whereas the relative contributions tectonic and climatic factors and their feedbacks are debated. The Pamir is peculiar in both, high deformation rates induced by the India–Eurasia collision and its position at the transition between...

In luminescence dating an essential part concerns compelling presentation of equivalent doses. However, there is no ideal way to depict equivalent dose distributions with all their measures of uncertainty. Amongst others, most common approaches are the Radial Plot and kernel density estimate (KDE) graphs. Both plot types are supported by the R-pack...

The interpretation of the Holocene sediment dynamics at Mount Kalkriese in the Wiehengebirge mountains (northwestern Germany) shows that the onset and the extent of human land use corresponds well with most colluvial archives in Central European loess regions: The onset of soil erosion in the Wiehengebirge mountains started during the Early Neolith...

Surface processes in Pamir are temporally and spatially extremely variables. Our collaborative research demon-strated that, (1) the controlling forces such as climate and tectonic deformation have evolved during the Quaternary, (2) Westerlies and Monsoon have varying domains of influence and (3) the rates of deformation, erosion and in-cision are l...

The Pamir is located at the western edge of the Indian indenter and results from the India-Asia collision. The Pamir also lies at the transition between zones dominated either by the Westerlies or the Indian Summer Monsoon. The ongoing tectonic deformation together with the climatic gradients from the two prevailing atmospheric circulation systems...

The high mountains of Pamir provide a fascinating natural laboratory to study geodynamic processes and their surface feedbacks. The ongoing India–Asia convergence controls the topographic growth, while the transition from westerlies to Indian summer monsoon-driven climate sets the pace for erosion processes. The role of climatic and tectonic factor...

A practical guide for the R package „Luminescence‟ is provided. An introduction on data types in R is given first, followed by a guideline on how to import, analyse and visualise typical SAR-OSL measurement data. http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/iges/research-groups/quaternary/luminescence-research-laboratory/ancient-tl/journal/06-13/

Surface processes involve complex feedback effects between tectonic and climatic influences in the high mountains of Pamir. The ongoing India–Asia collision provokes the development of east–west-trending mountain ranges that impose structural control on flow directions of the Pamir rivers. The evolving relief is further controlled by strong moistur...

High and actively deforming mountain ranges attract the attention of geoscientists as they provide natural laboratories of fast evolving process-response systems. Tectonic compressional settings, often linked to perpendicular extension, control the topographic growth and hence, erosion, transport pathways and sedimentation. High altitude difference...

For routine luminescence dating applications the commonly used Risø readers are bundled with analysis software, such as Viewer or Analyst. These software solutions are appropriate for most of the regular dating and publication jobs, and enable assessment of luminescence characteristics and provide basic statistical data treatment. However, for furt...

ThePamir owes its special attraction for geo-scientists to being among Earth's largest intra-continental orogens and to display some of the highest uplift rates as well as to host among the most powerful river systems on the planet. The evolution of the drainage network as a proxy for the landscape's response to tectonic signals provides a powerful...

Due to the construction of a new North-South subway in Cologne, Roman time harbour sediments were exposed and were sampled for luminescence dating. A very good independent age control was given by the precise knowledge of the chronology of Roman activity and by radiocarbon ages of charcoal samples. Hence, different methodological approaches within...

The three main Lena Delta terraces were formed during different stages of the late Quaternary. While only the first floodplain terrace is connected with active deltaic processes, the second and third terraces, which dominate the western part of the delta, are erosional remnants of arctic paleolandscapes affected by periglacial processes. The landsc...

Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating was applied to fluvial and colluvial deposits which were taken from a roman time harbour basin in Cologne. Hence, independent age control was given by roman artefacts (coins, bricks) of known age and by three radiocarbon data. For one sample (well sorted fluvial sand), a single aliquot regenerative (SA...

This study presents first results of a project which aims to develop an absolute chronology of the Weichselian ice marginal positions in north-eastern Germany using Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating. Owing to the special geomorphological and stratigraphical setting, many of the sampling sites were situated close to the former ice margi...

Multiproxy datasets (geocryology, geochronology, sedimentology, palaeo-ecology) from permafrost exposures were used together with land surface information based on satellite imagery and thematic maps in order to reconstruct the Lateglacial to Holocene landscape and environmental dynamics of Bunge Land (Zemlya Bunge). This area of little relief, sit...