@phdthesis{Hipondoka2005,
  author    = {Hipondoka, Martin H.T.},
  title     = {The development and evolution of Etosha Pan, Namibia},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-14351},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2005},
  abstract  = {This study explores and examines the geomorphology of a large endorheic basin, approximately twice the size of Luxemburg, situated in the Etosha National Park, Namibia. The main focus is directed on how and when this depression, known as Etosha Pan, came into being. Geomorphological investigation was complemented and guided primarily by the application and interpretation of satellite-derived information. Etosha Pan has attracted scientific investigations for nearly a century. Unfortunately, their efforts resulted into two diverging and mutually exclusive views with respect to its development. The first and oldest view dates back to the 1920s. It hypothesized Etosha Pan as a desiccated palaeolake which was abandoned following the river capture of its major fluvial system, the Kunene River. The river capture was assumed to have taken place in the Pliocene/Early Pleistocene. In spite of the absence of fluvial input that the Kunene contributed, the original lake was thought to have persisted until some 35 ka ago, long after the Kunene severed its ties with the basin. The current size of the basin and its playa status was interpreted to have resulted from deteriorating climatic conditions. The opposing view emerged in the 1980s and gained prominence in the 1990s. This view assumed that there were an innumerable number of small pans on the then surface of what later to become Etosha Pan. Since the turn of the Pliocene to Early Pleistocene, these individual pans started to experience a combined effect of fluvial erosion during the rainy season and wind deflation during the dry period. The climatic regime during that entire period was postulated to be semi-arid as today. This climatic status was used to rule out any existence of a perennial lake within the boundary of Etosha since the Quaternary. Ultimately, these denudational processes, taking place in a seasonal rhythm, caused the individual pans to deepen and widen laterally into each other and formed a super-pan that we call Etosha today. Thus the Kunene River had no role to play in the development of the Etosha Pan according to this model. However, proponents of this model acknowledged that the Kunene once fed into the Owambo Basin and assigned the end of the Tertiary to the terminal phase of that inflow. Findings of this study included field evidence endorsing the postulation that the Kunene River had once flowed into the Owambo Basin. Its infilled valley, bounding with the contemporary valley of the Kunene near Calueque, was identified and points towards the Etosha Pan. It is deliberated that a large lake, called Lake Kunene, existed in the basin during the time. Following the deflection of the Kunene River to the coast under the influence of river incision and neo-tectonic during the Late Pliocene, new dynamics were introduced over the Owambo Basin surface. After the basin was deprived of its major water and sediment budget that the Kunene River contributed, it was left with only smaller rivers, most notably the Cuvelai System, as the only remaining supplier. This resulted in the Cuvelai System concentrating and limiting its collective load deposition to a lobe of Lake Kunene basin floor. The accident of that lobe is unclear, but it is likely that it constituted the deepest part of the basin at the time or it was influenced by neo-tectonic that helped divert the Kunene River or both. Against the backdrop of fluvial action that was initiating the new lake, most parts of the rest of the basin, then denied of lacustrine activity, were intermittently riddled with a veneer of sediment, especially during phases of intensified aeolian activity. In the mean time, the area that was regularly receiving fluvial input started to shape up as a distinct lake with the depositions of sediments around the water-body, primarily via littoral action, serving as embankment. Gradually, a shoreline is formed and assisted in fixing and delineating the spatial extent of the new and much smaller lake, called Lake Etosha. That Lake Etosha is the predecessor of the modern day Etosha Pan. Indicators for a perennial lake found in this study at Etosha include fossil fragments of Clariidae species comparable to modern species measuring some 90 cm, and those of sitatunga dated to approximately 5 ka. None of these creatures exist today at Etosha because of their ecological requirements, which among others, include permanent water. The sitatunga, in addition, is known as the only truly amphibious antelope in the world. Since its inception, the new lake underwent a number of geomorphological modifications. A prominent character amongst these modifications is the orientation of the lake, which has its long-axis oriented in the ENE-WSW direction. It resulted from wave action affected by the prevailing dominant northeasterly wind, which is believed to have been in force since the Middle Pleistocene. Lake Etosha has also witnessed phases of waning and waxing under the influence of the prevailing climatic regime. Over the last 150 ka, the available data intercepted about seven phases of high lake levels. These data are generally in agreement with regional palaeoclimatic data, particularly when compared with those obtained from neighbouring Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana. The last recorded episode of the wet phase at Etosha was some 2,400 years before the present.},
  subject      = {Etoschapfanne},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Emmert2020,
  author    = {Emmert, Adrian Alexander},
  title     = {The Internal Structure of Periglacial Landforms - Assessments of Subsurface Variations in Permafrost-related and Frost-related Phenomena by Multi-dimensional Geophysical Investigations},
  edition   = {1. Auflage},
  publisher = {W{\"u}rzburg University Press},
  address   = {W{\"u}rzburg},
  isbn      = {978-3-95826-138-9},
  doi       = {10.25972/WUP-978-3-95826-139-6},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-202437},
  school      = {W{\"u}rzburg University Press},
  pages     = {xix, 167},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {The internal structure of periglacial landforms contains valuable information on past and present environmental conditions. To benefit from this archive, however, an enhanced understanding of subsurface variations is crucial. This enables to assess the influence of the internal structure on prevailing process regimes and to evaluate the sensitivity of different landform units to environmental changes. This thesis investigates structural variations in the subsurface of (i) rock glaciers,(ii) solifluction lobes, (iii) palsas/ lithalsas and (iv) patterned ground, which occur between the different landform types, but also between landform units of the same type. Investigated variables comprise (i) the spatial distribution of permafrost, (ii) ground ice content, (iii) the origin of ground ice, (iv) thickness of the active layer and (v) frost table topography. Multi-dimensional investigations by the geophysical methods Electrical Resistivity Imaging (ERI) and Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) were performed in six study areas (a-f): four of them are located in high-alpine environments in Switzerland and two of them are located in the subarctic highlands of Iceland. Additionally, surface and subsurface temperature values were continuously recorded at selected study sites. At one study site, pF-values, representing the matric potential (or water potential), were recorded. From a methodological view, this thesis focuses on the application of quasi-3-D ERI, an approach in which many two-dimensional data sets are combined to create one three-dimensional data set. This permits e.g., a three-dimensional delimitation of subsurface structures and a spatial investigation of the distribution of ground ice. Besides the analysis of field data, this thesis incudes a comparison between inversion models produced with different software products, based on two synthetic data sets. The detection of resistivity structures and reflection patterns provides valuable insights into the internal structure of the investigated landform units: At the high-alpine study site at (a) Piz Nair, a highly variable ice content indicates a complex development of the investigated rock glacier assembly. The local formation of ground ice is attributed to an embedding of surface patches of snow or ice into the subsurface by rockfall. Results of geoelectric monitoring surveys on selected rock glaciers show the influence of seasonal alterations in the internal structure on subsurface meltwater flow. At the study site at (b) Piz {\"U}ertsch, results indicate the occurrences of isolated ground ice patches in a significantly larger rock glacier. Detected characteristics of the internal structure enable to reconstruct the development of the rock glacier, in which a temporary override of an adjacent glacier tongue on the rock glacier is considered crucial for the current distribution of ground ice. However, results of this thesis clearly show the absence of buried glacier ice in the subsurface of the rock glacier. Results from a rock glacier near the (c) Las Trais Fluors mountain ridge affirm the existence of a water-permeable frozen layer, which was assumed in previous studies. Furthermore, results show that the rock glacier contains large amounts of rockfall deposits. A joint interpretation of ERI and GPR results from the investigated scree slope at the mountain (d) Blauberg (Furka Pass) reveals characteristic structures in the subsurface, which enable a differentiation between solifluction lobes and pebbly rock glaciers. At the subarctic study site (e) Orravatnsr{\´u}stir, results show that the internal structure of palsas can be used to deduce their current development stage and to assess past and future developments. Presented results affirm a long history of palsa development at the study site, as assumed in previous studies, but indicate recently changing environmental conditions. The investigated occurrences of patterned ground in the proglacial area of the glacier (f) Hofsj{\"o}kull are currently not influenced by the detected occurrence of permafrost, according to the presented results. Therefore, a temporary formation of pattered ground is assumed, which is linked to the retreat of the glacier. This thesis shows discrepancies between the internal structure of some of the investigated landform units and the recent environmental conditions. This indicates a delayed adaption and a low sensitivity of the landform units to environmental changes. Findings indicate that the future development of permafrost will be strongly affected by variations in snowfall. Furthermore, the detection of isolated occurrences of ground ice at several study sites contradicts the widely assumed effectivity of balancing heat fluxes to create homogenous subsurface conditions in relatively fine-grained subsurface materials.},
  subject      = {Permafrost},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Millonig2009,
  author    = {Millonig, Leo Jakob},
  title     = {The Neoarchean and Palaeoproterozoic metamorphic evolution of the Limpopo Belt's Central Zone in southern Africa. New insights from petrological investigations on amphibolite to granulitefacies rocks},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-36516},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2009},
  abstract  = {Die vorliegende Doktorarbeit pr{\"a}sentiert neue petrologische Untersuchungen an hochgradig metamorphen Gesteinen des Beit Bridge, Mahalapye und Phikwe Komplexes, welche gemeinsam die Central Zone des Limpopo Belt im s{\"u}dlichen Afrika bilden. Die Ergebnisse liefern detaillierte Informationen {\"u}ber die pro- und retrograde Druck-Temperatur-(P-T)-Entwicklung der drei Komplexe und bilden, in Einklang mit geochronologischen Daten, die Grundlage f{\"u}r die Erstellung eines einheitlichen geodynamischen Modells der Bildung der Central Zone des Limpopo Belt. Die abgeleiteten P-T Pfade wurden anhand detaillierter Untersuchungen an quartzges{\"a}ttigten und - unters{\"a}ttigten Metapeliten bis Metabasiten erstellt, wobei sechs Sillimanit-Granat-Cordierit Gneisse, vier (Granat)- Biotit-Plagioklas Gneisse, zwei Granat-Orthopyroxen-Biotit- Kalifeldspat-Plagioklas Gneisse, ein Granat-Cordierit-Orthoamphibol Fels, ein Granat-Biotit Amphibolit und ein Granat-Klinopyroxen Amphibolit untersucht wurden. PT Punkte und P-T Entwicklungen wurden mit Hilfe von konventionellen Geothermobarometern und quantitativen Phasendiagrammen in den Systemen Na2O - CaO - K2O - FeO - MgO - Al2O3 - SiO2 - H2O - TiO2 - O(NCKFMASHTiO) und MnO - TiO2 - Na2O - CaO - K2O - FeO - MgO - Al2O3 - SiO2 - H2O (MnTiNCKFMASH) berechnet und abgeleitet. Die Phasendiagramme wurden mit den Programmen THERMOCALC und THERIAK-DOMINO berechnet. Petrologische Informationen, speziell solche, die durch den Vergleich von beobeachteten/gemessenen mit thermodynamisch berechneten Mineralparagenesen, -zonierungen, -zusammensetzungen und Modalgehalten erhalten wurden zeigen, in Kombination mit neuen und bereits existierenden geochronologischen Daten, dass Gesteine der drei untersuchten Komplexe geringf{\"u}gig unterschiedliche P-T Entwicklungen zu verschiedenen Zeiten durchliefen. Proben aus der Gegend des Bulai Plutons (Beit Bridge Komplex) belegen ein hochgradig metamorphes Ereignis im Neoarchaikum um ~2.64 Ga (M2), mit peak-metamorphen Bedingungen von ~850°C/8-9 kbar und einer retrograden Dekompression mit gleichzeitiger Abk{\"u}hlung zu ~750°C/5-6 kbar. Diese metamorphe Entwicklung erfolgte vermutlich im geodynamischen Umfeld eines Magmatischen Bogens. Im Gegensatz hierzu dokumentieren Proben des Mahalapye und Phikwe Komplexes metamorphe Entwicklungen im Pal{\"a}oproterozoikum um ~2.03-2.05 Ga (M3), die sich zudem im prograden Verlauf der Metamorphose voneinander unterscheiden. Metamorphe Gesteine des Mahalapye Komplexes kennzeichnet eine Hochtemperatur- Niedrigdruck-(HT-LP)- Metamorphose mit schwacher prograder Dekompression von ~650°C/7 kbar nach ~800°C/5.5 kbar, die mit der Platznahme von ausgedehnten granitischen Intrusionen um ~2.06-2.02 Ga einherging. Metamorphe Gesteine des Phikwe Komplexes hingegen zeigen eine gleichzeitige Druck- und Temperaturzunahme von ~600°C/6 kbar nach ~750°C/8 kbar, die nicht mit Magmatismus im Pal{\"a}oproterozoikum assoziiert war. Es wird gefolgert, dass die HT-LP metamorphe Entwicklung des Mahalapye Komplexes ihre Ursache in dem magmatischen „Underplating" heisser mafischer Schmelzen, als Ergebnis s{\"u}dost- erichteter Subduktion w{\"a}hrend der Kheis-Magondy Orogenese, und/oder der zeitgleichen Aktivit{\"a}t von Mantel Plumes, in Zusammenhang mit der Bildung des Bushveld Komplexes, hat. Im Gegensatz hierzu belegen die Gesteine des Phikwe Komplexes eine prograde Druck- und Temperaturzunahme, hervorgerufen durch eine fortschreitende Krustenstapelung um ~2.03 Ga. Diese Stapelung ist bereits f{\"u}r zahlreiche andere geologischen Einheiten des Limpopo Belt belegt. Sie wird als eine Folge der endenden Ann{\"a}herung/Kollision zwischen dem Kaapvaal und Zimbabwe Kraton interpretiert, welche durch s{\"u}dost-gerichtete Kompression im Zuge der Kheis-Magondy Orogenese zw. ~2.06 und 1.90 Ga hervorgerufen wurde.},
  subject      = {Limpopo-G{\"u}rtel},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Kawohl2022,
  author    = {Kawohl, Alexander},
  title     = {The Petrology and Geochemistry of Igneous Dykes above the Temagami Anomaly (Ontario, Canada) and their Relationship to the 1.85 Ga Sudbury Impact},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-27961},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-279617},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {The area northeast of Sudbury, Ontario, is known for one of the largest unexplained geophysical anomalies on the Canadian Shield, the 1,200 km2 Temagami Anomaly. The geological cause of this regional magnetic, conductive and gravity feature has previously been modelled to be a mafic-ultramafic body at relatively great depth (2-15 km) of unknown age and origin, which may or may not be related to the meteorite impact-generated Sudbury Igneous Complex in its immediate vicinity. However, with a profound lack of outcrops and drill holes, the geological cause of the anomaly remains elusive, a genetic link to the 1.85 Ga Sudbury impact event purely speculative. In search for any potential surface expression of the deep-seated cause of the Temagami Anomaly, this study provides a first, yet comprehensive petrological and geochemical assessment of exotic igneous dykes recently discovered in outcrops above, and drill cores into, the Temagami Anomaly. Based on cross-cutting field relations, petrographic studies, lithogeochemistry, whole-rock Nd-Sr-Pb isotope systematics, and U-Pb geochronology, it was possible to identify, and distinguish between, at least six different groups of igneous dykes: (i) Calc-alkaline quartz diorite dykes related to the 1.85 Ga Sudbury Igneous Complex (locally termed Offset Dykes); (ii) tholeiitic quartz diabase of the regional 2.22 Ga Nipissing Suite/Senneterre Dyke Swarm; (iii) calc-alkaline quartz diabase of the regional 2.17 Ga Biscotasing Dyke Swarm; (iv) alkaline ultrabasic dykes correlated with the 1.88-1.86 Ga Circum-Superior Large Igneous Province (LIP); and (v) aplitic dykes as well as (vi) a hornblende syenite, the latter two of more ambiguous age and stratigraphic position. The findings presented in this study - the discovery of three new Offset Dykes in particular - offer some unexpected insights into the geology and economic potential of one of the least explored areas of the world-class Sudbury Mining Camp as well as into the nature and distribution of both allochthonous and autochthonous impactites within one of the oldest and largest impact structures known on Earth. Not only do the geometric patterns of dyke (and breccia) distribution reaffirm previous notions of the existence of discrete ring structures in the sense of a ~200-km multi-ring basin, but they provide critical constraints as to the pre-erosional thickness and extent of the impact melt sheet, thus helping to identity new areas for Ni-Cu-PGE exploration. Furthermore, this study provides important insights into the pre-impact stratigraphy and the magmatic evolution of the region in general, which reveals to be much more complex, compositionally divers, and protracted than initially assumed. Of note is the discovery of rocks related to the 2.17 Ga Biscotasing and the 1.88-1.86 Ga Circum-Superior magmatic events, as these were not previously known to occur on the southeast margin of the Superior Craton. Shortly predating the Sudbury impact and being contemporaneous with ore-forming events at Thompson (Manitoba) and Raglan (Cape Smith), these magmatic rocks could provide the missing link between unusual mafic, pre-enriched, crustal target rocks, and the unique metal endowment of the Sudbury Impact Structure. The actual geological cause of the Temagami Anomaly remains open to debate and requires the downward extension of existing bore holes as well as more detailed geophysical investigations. The hypothesis of a genetic relationship between Sudbury impact event and Temagami Anomaly is neither borne out by any evidence nor particularly realistic, even in case of an oblique impact, and should thus be abandoned. It is instead proposed, based on circumstantial evidence, that the anomaly might be explained by an ultramafic complex of the 1.88-1.86 Ga Circum-Superior LIP.},
  subject      = {Impaktstruktur},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Werner2006,
  author    = {Werner, Mario},
  title     = {The stratigraphy, sedimentology, and age of the Late Palaeozoic Mesosaurus Inland Sea, SW-Gondwana : new implications from studies on sediments and altered pyroclastic layers of the Dwyka and Ecca Group (lower Karoo Supergroup) in southern Namibia},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-21757},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2006},
  abstract  = {The Mesosaurus Inland Sea covered, in the Late Paleozoic, vast areas (~5 Mio km2) of the SW-Gondwanan continental interior. Major depocentres are represented by the Karoo basins of SW-Africa and the Paran{\´a} Basin in South America. These areas were interconnected prior to the break-up of Gondwana and the subsequent opening of the South Atlantic Ocean. In Namibia and South Africa deposits of the Mesosaurus Inland Sea are preserved in the successions of the glacial Dwyka Group and the postglacial Ecca Group (Karoo Supergroup). These deposits comprise the major part of a 60-70 Ma depositional cycle and are the main focus of this study. The large-scale transgressive part of this cycle started in the Late Carboniferous with continental glacial deposits followed by marine glacial and postglacial inland sea deposits. During the Early Permian the Mesosaurus Inland Sea reached its greatest extent, which was accompanied by widespread deposition of Corg-rich sediments. The large scale regressive part is recorded by successions ranging from deep water offshore pelites and turbidite sandstones to shallow water shoreface and deltaic sandstones, deposited in a brackish environment. Shallow water inland sea sediments are in turn overlain by fluvio-lacustrine deposits, which are assigned to the Beaufort Group and form the upper part of the cycle. This successive change in the depositional environment from marine to brackish to freshwater is also reflected in the fossil record. During Dwyka times a marine association of the Gondwana faunal province was able to colonize parts of the Mesosaurus Inland Sea. Later, during lower Ecca times, the connection to the Panthalassan Ocean became insufficient to retain normal marine conditions, leading to strong faunal endemism in an isolated and brackish inland sea environ¬ment. The most well-known and widespread representatives of this endemic fauna are mesosaurid vertebrates and megadesmid bivalves. Numerous altered tuffs occur as interlayers within argillaceous sediments of the Dwyka and Ecca Group of southern Namibia. The vast majority of these altered tuffs are represented by soft and crumbly to hard and indurated, clay-mineral-rich, bentonitic layers. Another, much rarer type is represented by very hard, chert-like tuff layers, which are predominantly albitic in composition. Furthermore, tuff layers within the Gai-As Formation of the Huab area are rich in potassium feldspar and have a porcelain-like appearance. The diagenetically modified matrix is mainly crypto- to microcrystalline. Polished tuff specimen show, in some tuffs, plane lamination or bedding with two or more subunits forming a tuff layer. Some display a weakly developed lamination. Only in very rare cases were structures reminiscent of sedimentary micro-cross lamination observed. The sedimentary textures and structures of the tuffs indicate that they have been deposited mainly as distal ash-fall layers by suspension settling in water. Some may have also been deposited or modified under the influence of weak bottom currents. The primary, pyroclastic macro-components of the tuffs are mainly represented by crystals of quartz, plagio¬clase, and biotite. In some thin sections pseudo¬morphs after pyroxene or hornblende were observed. Euhedral zircon and apatite crystals were observed in almost every tuff. Vitric or formerly vitric macro-components are very rare. The matrix of the majority of the investigated tuffs is predominantly composed of clay minerals. However, the matrix of the tuffs originally consisted most probably of fine vitric ash particles. Soon after deposition the volcanic ash was diagenetically altered to smectitic clay minerals. At a later stage smectite was progressively replaced by illite under prograde conditions. Nowadays the matrix of the bentonitic tuffs is strongly illite-dominated and only in the softer tuff layers a minor smectite content can be detected. Both the primary macrocrystic components as well as the geochemistry of the altered tuffs indicate that their source magmas were mainly of intermediate composition. The abundance of splintery quartz and feldspar crystal fragments within the tuffs hints at a highly explosive plinian or phreatoplinian eruption style of the source volcanoes, which were most probably located within a subduction-related volcanic arc region along the southern margin of Gondwana. New single zircon U-Pb SHRIMP datings of tuff layers provide a much more reliable age control of the investigated sedimentary succession. U-Pb SHRIMP ages for tuff layers from the glaciogenic Dwyka Group in southwestern Africa range from 302.0 ± 3.0 to 297.1 ± 1.8 Ma. The basal part of the early post-glacial Prince Albert Formation is dated at around 290 Ma. SHRIMP ages for tuff layers from the upper part of the Prince Albert Formation, the Whitehill Formation, and the middle part of the Collingham Formation indicate that the Mesosaurus Sea reached its greatest extent at around 280 Ma.},
  subject      = {Karru},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Wohlfart2018,
  author    = {Wohlfart, Christian},
  title     = {The Yellow River Basin in Transition - Multi-faceted Land Cover Change Analysis in the Yellow River Basin in the Context of Global Change Using Multi-sensor Remote Sensing Imagery},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-163724},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2018},
  abstract  = {As a cradle of ancient Chinese civilization, the Yellow River Basin has a very long human-environment interrelationship, where early anthropogenic activities re- sulted in large scale landscape modifications. Today, the impact of this relationship has intensified further as the basin plays a vital role for China's continued economic development. It is one of the most densely-populated, fastest growing, and most dynamic regions of China with abundant natural and environmental resources providing a livelihood for almost 190 million people. Triggered by fundamental economic reforms, the basin has witnessed a spectacular economic boom during the last decades and can be considered as an exemplary blueprint region for contemporary dynamic Global Change processes occurring throughout the country, which is currently transitioning from an agrarian-dominated economy into a modern urbanized society. However, this resourcesdemanding growth has led to profound land use changes with adverse effects on the Yellow River social-ecological systems, where complex challenges arise threatening a long-term sustainable development. Consistent and continuous remote sensing-based monitoring of recent and past land cover and land use change is a fundamental requirement to mitigate the adverse impacts of Global Change processes. Nowadays, technical advancement and the multitude of available satellite sensors, in combination with the opening of data archives, allow the creation of new research perspectives in regional land cover applications over heterogeneous landscapes at large spatial scales. Despite the urgent need to better understand the prevailing dynamics and underlying factors influencing the current processes, detailed regional specific land cover data and change information are surprisingly absent for this region. In view of the noted research gaps and contemporary developments, three major objectives are defined in this thesis. First (i), the current and most pressing social-ecological challenges are elaborated and policy and management instruments towards more sustainability are discussed. Second (ii), this thesis provides new and improved insights on the current land cover state and dynamics of the entire Yellow River Basin. Finally (iii), the most dominant processes related to mining, agriculture, forest, and urban dynamics are determined on finer spatial and temporal scales. The complex and manifold problems and challenges that result from long-term abuse of the water and land resources in the basin have been underpinned by policy choices, cultural attitude, and institutions that have evolved over centuries in China. The tremendous economic growth that has been mainly achieved by extracting water and exploiting land resources in a rigorous, but unsustainable manner, might not only offset the economic benefits, but could also foster social unrest. Since the early emergence of the first Chinese dynasties, flooding was considered historically as a primary issue in river management and major achievements have been made to tame the wild nature of the Yellow River. Whereas flooding is therefore largely now under control, new environmental and social problems have evolved, including soil and water pollution, ecological degradation, biodiversity decline, and food security, all being further aggravated by anthropogenic climate change. To resolve the contemporary and complex challenges, many individual environmental laws and regulations have been enacted by various Chinese ministries. However, these policies often pursue different, often contradictory goals, are too general to tackle specific problems and are usually implemented by a strong top-down approach. Recently, more flexible economic and market-based incentives (pricing, tradable permits, investments) have been successfully adopted, which are specifically tailored to the respective needs, shifting now away from the pure command and regulating instruments. One way towards a more holistic and integrated river basin management could be the establishment of a common platform (e.g. a Geographical Information System) for data handling and sharing, possibly operated by the Yellow River Basin Conservancy Commission (YRCC), where available spatial data, statistical information and in-situ measures are coalesced, on which sustainable decision-making could be based. So far, the collected data is hardly accessible, fragmented, inconsistent, or outdated. The first step to address the absence and lack of consistent and spatially up-to-date information for the entire basin capturing the heterogeneous landscape conditions was taken up in this thesis. Land cover characteristics and dynamics were derived from the last decade for the years 2003 and 2013, based on optical medium-resolution hightemporal MODIS Normalized Differenced Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series at 250 m. To minimize the inherent influence of atmospheric and geometric interferences found in raw high temporal data, the applied adaptive Savitzky-Golay filter successfully smoothed the time series and substantially reduced noise. Based on the smoothed time series data, a large variety of intra-annual phenology metrics as well as spectral and multispectral annual statistics were derived, which served as input variables for random forest (RF) classifiers. High quality reference data sets were derived from very high resolution imagery for each year independently of which 70 \% trained the RF models. The accuracy assessments for all regionally specific defined thematic classes were based on the remaining 30 \% reference data split and yielded overall accuracies of 87 \% and 84 \% for 2003 and 2013, respectively. The first regional adapted Yellow River Land Cover Products (YRB LC) depict the detail spatial extent and distribution of the current land cover status and dynamics. The novel products overall differentiate overall 18 land cover and use classes, including classes of natural vegetation (terrestrial and aquatic), cultivated classes, mosaic classes, non-vegetated, and artificial classes, which are not presented in previous land cover studies so far. Building on this, an extended multi-faceted land cover analysis on the most prominent land cover change types at finer spatial and temporal scales provides a better and more detailed picture of the Yellow River Basin dynamics. Precise spatio-temporal products about mining, agriculture, forest, and urban areas were examined from long-trem Landsat satellite time series monitored at annual scales to capture the rapid rate of change in four selected focus regions. All archived Landsat images between 2000 and 2015 were used to derive spatially continuous spectral-temporal, multi-spectral, and textural metrics. For each thematic region and year RF models were built, trained and tested based on a stablepixels reference data set. The automated adaptive signature (AASG) algorithm identifies those pixels that did not change between the investigated time periods to generate a mono-temporal reference stable-pixels data set to keep manual sampling requirements to a minimum level. Derived results gained high accuracies ranging from 88 \% to 98 \%. Throughout the basin, afforestation on the Central Loess Plateau and urban sprawl are identified as most prominent drivers of land cover change, whereas agricultural land remained stable, only showing local small-scale dynamics. Mining operations started in 2004 on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which resulted in a substantial loss of pristine alpine meadows and wetlands. In this thesis, a novel and unique regional specific view of current and past land cover characteristics in a complex and heterogeneous landscape was presented by using a multi-source remote sensing approach. The delineated products hold great potential for various model and management applications. They could serve as valuable components for effective and sustainable land and water management to adapt and mitigate the predicted consequences of Global Change processes.},
  subject      = {Fernerkundung},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Klawitter2006,
  author    = {Klawitter, Ruth},
  title     = {Theoriegeleitete praxisorientierte Lehrerausbildung im Fach Geographie. Eine wissenschaftliche Untersuchung am Standort Studienhaus Geographie im Schullandheim Bauersberg in der Rh{\"o}n},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-20075},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2006},
  abstract  = {Diese Studie entwickelt und testet ein Ausbildungskonzept f{\"u}r die Lehrerausbildung im Fach Geographie am Beispiel der Bildungseinrichtung Studienhaus Geographie des Schullandheims Bauersberg bei Bischofsheim a.d. Rh{\"o}n. Die theoretischen {\"U}berlegungen beinhalten einen {\"U}berblick {\"u}ber die bestehenden p{\"a}dagogischen Zielsetzungen, die administrativen Grundlagen, die aufgezeigten Defizite der universit{\"a}ren Lehrerausbildung wie die daraus resultierenden Reformans{\"a}tze und Forderungen an eine qualifizierte Lehrerausbildung. F{\"u}r das fallbeispielhaft entwickelte Konzept einer Lehrerausbildung im Fach Geographie stellen die professionstheoretischen Ans{\"a}tze zu einer kompetenzorientierte Lehrerausbildung die Basis dar, auf der die p{\"a}dagogischen Zielsetzungen einer auf Professionalit{\"a}t ausgerichteten Lehrerausbildung formuliert werden. Schwerpunktm{\"a}ßig basiert das Ausbildungskonzept auf dem bildungstheoretischen Dreieck zur Neustrukturierung der Lehrerbildung von BAYER/CARLE/WILDT, welches die Vernetzungsm{\"o}glichkeiten der die Lehrerausbildung kennzeichnenden Bezugssysteme Wissenschaft (im Sinne von Theorie), Praxis (im Sinne von Berufsfeldbezug) und Person (im Sinne von Professionalit{\"a}t) beschreibt. Grundlage des Ausbildungskonzeptes stellen ebenfalls die administrativen Vorgaben der bayerischen Lehrerausbildung dar. Eine wesentliche Rolle f{\"u}r die Konzeption dieser Form der Ausbildung am Standort Studienhaus Geographie spielen neben den strukturellen Voraussetzungen dieser Einrichtung die ge{\"a}ußerten Defizite der universit{\"a}ren Lehrerausbildung, die jeweils in der Aussage einer zu wenig an der Praxis orientierten Ausbildung gipfeln. Untersuchungen zur Qualit{\"a}t der universit{\"a}ren Geographielehrerausbildung geben Hinweise zu einer intensiveren Vermittlung von Methodenkompetenz bez{\"u}glich des Unterrichtsprinzips Handlungsorientierung und des Einsatz von geographischen Arbeitstechniken wie Experimente, Exkursionen/Arbeiten im Gel{\"a}nde etc.. Unterst{\"u}tzt werden die sich daraus ableitenden Optimierungsvorschl{\"a}ge durch die Realisierung verschiedener Reformans{\"a}tze im Fach Geographie wie f{\"a}cher{\"u}bergreifendes, projektorientiertes, in der Zusammenarbeit mit der Schulpraxis stattfindendes Arbeiten an außerschulischen Lernorten und durch die von den jeweiligen Fachvertretern formulierten Richtlinien zur Optimierung der Lehrerausbildung. Das Ausbildungskonzept basiert auf interdisziplin{\"a}r angelegten Lehrveranstaltungen, die in Kooperation der Geographiedidaktik mit der Physischen Geographie, der Humangeographie, der Geologie, der Mineralogie und der Schulpraxis und zur Erarbeitung unterrichtsrelevanter geographischer Ausbildungsinhalte stattfinden. Kennzeichnend ist die Veranstaltungsstruktur Blockveranstaltung, welche handlungs- und projektorientierte, auf Teamarbeit ausgerichtete Arbeitsformen f{\"o}rdert und die gemeinsame Erarbeitung von Ausbildungsinhalten aus fachdidaktischer und fachwissenschaftlicher Perspektive in der Theorie mit anschließender Anwendung bei Gel{\"a}ndearbeiten. Eine Umsetzung der theoretischen Kenntnisse in fachad{\"a}quates, didaktisch-methodisches Unterrichtsmaterial/-vorhaben wie deren Erprobung mit Sch{\"u}lern schließt sich an. Den Abschluss dieser Ausbildungsform bildet eine gemeinsame Evaluation und Reflexion der gesetzten fachdidaktischen, fachwissenschaftlichen und hochschuldidaktischen Zielsetzungen bez{\"u}glich der Ausbildungsinhalte und -methode. In der qualitativen Studie wurde die Eignung des Standortes Studienhaus Geographie f{\"u}r Lehrveranstaltungen, die gem{\"a}ß dem Konzept der theoriegeleiteten praxisorientierten Lehrerausbildung stattfinden, evaluiert. Lehrende der Geographie/Geologie/Mineralogie, Studierende und Lehrkr{\"a}fte wurden in Leitfadeninterviews befragt. In der quantitativen Studie evaluierten alle teilgenommenen Studierende mittels eines Fragebogens dieses Ausbildungskonzept. Sowohl aus der Perspektive der Lehrenden der Fachwissenschaft als auch aus derjenigen der Geographiedidaktik und der Studierenden stellt diese Einrichtung aufgrund ihrer Lage und r{\"a}umlichen wie materiellen Ausstattung einen geeigneten Ausbildungsort f{\"u}r eine universit{\"a}re Lehrerausbildung, die nach p{\"a}dagogischen, fach- und hochschuldidaktischen Kriterien organisiert ist, dar.},
  language  = {de}
}
@phdthesis{Colditz2007,
  author    = {Colditz, Rene Roland},
  title     = {Time Series Generation and Classification of MODIS Data for Land Cover Mapping},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-25908},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2007},
  abstract  = {Processes of the Earth's surface occur at different scales of time and intensity. Climate in particular determines the activity and seasonal development of vegetation. These dynamics are predominantly driven by temperature in the humid mid-latitudes and by the availability of water in semi-arid regions. Human activities are a modifying parameter for many ecosystems and can become the prime force in well-developed regions with an intensively managed environment. Accounting for these dynamics, i.e. seasonal dynamics of ecosystems and short- to long-term changes in land-cover composition, requires multiple measurements in time. With respect to the characterization of the Earth surface and its transformation due to global warming and human-induced global change, there is a need for appropriate data and methods to determine the activity of vegetation and the change of land cover. Space-borne remote sensing is capable of monitoring the activity and development of vegetation as well as changes of the land surface. In many instances, satellite images are the only means to comprehensively assess the surface characteristics of large areas. A high temporal frequency of image acquisition, forming a time series of satellite data, can be employed for mapping the development of vegetation in space and time. Time series allow for detecting and assessing changes and multi-year transformation processes of high and low intensity, or even abrupt events such as fire and flooding. The operational processing of satellite data and automated information-extraction techniques are the basis for consistent and continuous long-term product generation. This provides the potential for directly using remote-sensing data and products for analyzing the land surface in relation to global warming and global change, including deforestation and land transformation. This study aims at the development of an advanced approach to time-series generation using data-quality indicators. A second goal focuses on the application of time series for automated land-cover classification and update, using fractional cover estimates to accommodate for the comparatively coarse spatial resolution. Requirements of this study are the robustness and high accuracy of the approaches as well as the full transferability to other regions and datasets. In this respect, the developments of this study form a methodological framework, which can be filled with appropriate modules for a specific sensor and application. In order to attain the first goal, time-series compilation, a stand-alone software application called TiSeG (Time Series Generator) has been developed. TiSeG evaluates the pixel-level quality indicators provided with each MODIS land product. It computes two important data-availability indicators, the number of invalid pixels and the maximum gap length. Both indices are visualized in time and space, indicating the feasibility of temporal interpolation. The level of desired data quality can be modified spatially and temporally to account for distinct environments in a larger study area and for seasonal differences. Pixels regarded as invalid are either masked or interpolated with spatial or temporal techniques.},
  subject      = {Zeitreihe},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Gerend2012,
  author    = {Gerend, Jennifer},
  title     = {U.S. and German Approaches to Regulating Retail Development: Urban Planning Tools and Local Policies},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-70257},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2012},
  abstract  = {This dissertation examines retail development regulation in the U.S. and in Germany, comparing the various urban planning tools and policies in use by municipal governments. These similarities and differences are explored through research into three case study cities in each country, with special attention paid to how these governments regulate large-scale or "big box" retail.},
  subject      = {Einzelhandel},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Heldens2010,
  author    = {Heldens, Wieke},
  title     = {Use of airborne hyperspectral data and height information to support urban micro climate characterisation},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-48935},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2010},
  abstract  = {The urban micro climate has been increasingly recognised as an important aspect for urban planning. Therefore, urban planners need reliable information on the micro climatic characteristics of the urban environment. A suitable spatial scale and large spatial coverage are important requirements for such information. This thesis presents a conceptual framework for the use of airborne hyperspectral data to support urban micro climate characterisation, taking into account the information needs of urban planning. The potential of hyperspectral remote sensing in characterising the micro climate is demonstrated and evaluated by applying HyMap airborne hyperspectral and height data to a case study of the German city of Munich. The developed conceptual framework consists of three parts. The first is concerned with the capabilities of airborne hyperspectral remote sensing to map physical urban characteristics. The high spatial resolution of the sensor allows to separate the relatively small urban objects. The high spectral resolution enables the identification of the large range of surface materials that are used in an urban area at up to sub-pixel level. The surface materials are representative for the urban objects of which the urban landscape is composed. These spatial urban characteristics strongly influence the urban micro climate. The second part of the conceptual framework provides an approach to use the hyperspectral surface information for the characterisation of the urban micro climate. This can be achieved by integrating the remote sensing material map into a micro climate model. Also spatial indicators were found to provide useful information on the micro climate for urban planners. They are commonly used in urban planning to describe building blocks and are related to several micro climatic parameters such as temperature and humidity. The third part of the conceptual framework addresses the combination and presentation of the derived indicators and simulation results under consideration of the planning requirements. Building blocks and urban structural types were found to be an adequate means to group and present the derived information for micro climate related questions to urban planners. The conceptual framework was successfully applied to a case study in Munich. Airborne hyperspectral HyMap data has been used to derive a material map at sub-pixel level by multiple endmember linear spectral unmixing. This technique was developed by the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) for applications in Dresden and Potsdam. A priori information on building locations was used to support the separation between spectrally similar materials used both on building roofs and non-built surfaces. In addition, surface albedo and leaf area index are derived from the HyMap data. The sub-pixel material map supported by object height data is then used to derive spatial indicators, such as imperviousness or building density. To provide a more detailed micro climate characterisation at building block level, the surface materials, albedo, leaf area index (LAI) and object height are used as input for simulations with the micro climate model ENVI-met. Concluding, this thesis demonstrated the potential of hyperspectral remote sensing to support urban micro climate characterisation. A detailed mapping of surface materials at sub-pixel level could be performed. This provides valuable, detailed information on a large range of spatial characteristics relevant to the assessment of the urban micro climate. The developed conceptual framework has been proven to be applicable to the case study, providing a means to characterise the urban micro climate. The remote sensing products and subsequent micro climatic information are presented at a suitable spatial scale and in understandable maps and graphics. The use of well-known spatial indicators and the framework of urban structural types can simplify the communication with urban planners on the findings on the micro climate. Further research is needed primarily on the sensitivity of the micro climate model towards the remote sensing based input parameters and on the general relation between climate parameters and spatial indicators by comparison with other cities.},
  subject      = {Mikroklima},
  language  = {en}
}