Physical Geography
WELCOME
Welcome to the homepage of the Physical Geography Department at the Institute of Geography, University of Hamburg.
The department is jointly represented by Prof. Dr. Jürgen Böhner (Physical Geography), Prof. Dr. Udo Schickhoff (Biogeography), and Prof. Dr. Olena Dubovyk (Terrestrial Remote Sensing). Together, we form an internationally connected research unit with a strong focus on system-oriented physical geography, geoinformatics, and Earth observation.
Our research addresses regional climate dynamics, landscape ecosystems and processes, and terrestrial Remote Sensing, with a particular emphasis on Africa and Europe as well as on high-mountain and climate-sensitive regions. Across national and international third-party-funded projects, we contribute to key questions in Earth system science, climate change, land-use dynamics, and environmental monitoring.
A central pillar of the department is the development and application of geoinformatics and remote sensing methods, models, and expert systems. The System for Automated Geoscientific Analyses (SAGA)—developed in Hamburg and used by more than 300,000 researchers worldwide—represents one of the University of Hamburg’s most visible international scientific contributions.
Teaching in the department is fully integrated into degree programmes in Geography, Geosciences, SICCS, and the European UNIGIS programme (University of Salzburg). In addition to core physical geography disciplines, strong emphasis is placed on GIS, Remote Sensing, and Earth observation, ensuring research-oriented and practice-relevant training.
The department is actively involved in international teaching through an Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) in cooperation with the University of Bergen and the University of Salzburg, strengthening student mobility and international collaboration.
Working Group Geosystems analysis
Working Group Biogeography and Landscape ecology
Working Group Microplastic Research at CEN