Dirk Hoffmann

U-Th and U-Pb dating are applied to samples such as speleothems, tufa, travertine or corals. We also investigate application to non-traditional samples, for example carbonate layers or nodules found in lake sediments. Examples for research directions are

• Palaeoclimate research using speleothems
• U-series methods development, e.g. micro sampling, in situ / laser ablation application
• Dating of cave art
• Dating of archaeological sites
• Radiocarbon calibration using speleothems
• Palaeo sea level
• Uplift history

• Pike, A.W.G., Hoffmann, D.L., Taylor, C., García Díez, M., Zilhão, J. (in press). Datacion por series del uranio de formaciones de calcite asociadas a pinturas rupestres paleoliticas en las cueva de Las Aguas. Accepted for inclusion in monograph on the cave art of Las Aguas Cave, Museum of Altameria.
• Scholz, D., Hoffmann, D.L. (2011). StalAge - an algorithm especially designed for construction of speleothem age models. Quaternary Geochronology ***.
• Luetscher, M., Hoffmann, D.L., Frisia, S., Spötl, C. (2011). Holocene glacier history from alpine speleothems, Milchbach cave, Switzerland. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 302, 95-106.
• Ramalho, R., Helffrich, G., Cosca, M., Vance, D., Hoffmann, D., Schmidt, D.N. (2010). Constraints on the origins of hot spot swells from island freeboard. Nature Geosciences 3, 774-777.
• Madeira, J., Mata, J., Mourão, C., Brum da Silveira, A., Martins, S., Ramalho, R., Hoffmann, D.L. (2010). Volcano-stratigraphic and structural evolution of Brava Island (Cape Verde) from 40Ar/39Ar, U/Th and field constraints. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 196, 219–235.
• Ramalho, R.; Helffrich, G., Cosca, M., Vance, D., Hoffmann, D., Schmidt, D.N. (2010). Vertical movements of ocean island volcanoes: insights from a stationary plate environment. Marine Geology 275, 84-95.
• Fensterer, C., Scholz, D., Hoffmann, D., Mangini, A., Pajon, J.M. (2010). 230Th/U-dating of a late Holocene low uranium speleothem from Cuba. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 9, 012015.
• Hoffmann, D. L., Beck, J. W., Richards, D. A., Smart, P. L., Singarayer, J.S., Ketchmark, T., Hawkesworth, C. J. (2010). Towards radiocarbon calibration beyond 28 ka using speleothems from the Bahamas. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 289, 1-10.

If you are interested in more details or collaboration please contact Dirk Hoffmann