Master Thesis: Reconstructing Glacial Landscapes of the North Sea

Background

During the Quaternary period, repeated glaciations significantly shaped the landscape of the North Sea region. Especially during the Saalian glaciation, advancing ice sheets and associated meltwater processes reworked sediments, transported large clasts, and formed complex paleo‑landscapes that are now preserved beneath the modern seafloor.

Job Description

Master Thesis: Reconstructing Glacial Landscapes of the North Sea

The Coastal Geology working group offers an exciting master’s thesis opportunity focusing on the glacial history of the North Sea. The project investigates large‑scale stone accumulations on the seafloor, which may be linked to former glaciations of the North Sea (e.g., Saalian glaciation). High‑resolution hydroacoustic datasets reveal remarkable structures at and beneath the seabed, but their exact origin and formation processes are still not fully understood.

The aim of the thesis is to use side‑scan sonar and subbottom profiler data to reconstruct paleoglacial landscapes of the North Sea and explore potential relationships between stone accumulations, glacial processes, and landscape evolution. An additional aspect of the project may involve comparing marine structures with terrestrial formations – for example through a LiDAR‑based 3D reconstruction of the “Rotes Kliff” on Sylt and comparison with mapped underwater structures in the nearshore area.

Your Tasks

• Analysis of high‑resolution side‑scan sonar and multibeam bathymetric data
• Interpretation of subbottom profiler datasets
• Reconstruction of paleolandscapes in the North Sea
• Investigation of glacial transport and depositional processes
• GIS‑based geological interpretation
• Optional: LiDAR analyses and new hydroacoustic surveys

Your Profile

• Enrolled at a university
• Interest in marine geology, quaternary glacial history, hydroacoustics, and coastal research
• Motivation to work both with existing and new datasets
• Basic experience with GIS, IHS Kingdom, sidescan sonar processing software is beneficial

Further Information

You are interested? Then please send us your application with cover letter and CV (with all documents merged into one PDF file) by e‑mail to

For further information please contact Dr. Jasper Hoffmann.