Dr. Polina Vakhrameeva

Research Profile:

My research aims at dating and correlating marine and terrestrial climate archives using tephrochronology in order to contribute to a better understanding of paleoclimatic processes. Specifically, I am developing tephrostratigraphic records for the Holocene to Middle Pleistocene of the Eastern Mediterranean region and the Eurasian Arctic, with the focus on tracing and geochemical fingerprinting of cryptotephra layers. For the Eastern Mediterranean region, the goal is to establish tephrostratigraphic land-sea correlations primarily for the Middle Pleistocene based on key archives such as Tenaghi Philippon (NE Greece) and ODP Leg 160 (Eastern Mediterranean Sea). In order to link the large number of yet unidentified distal (crypto)tephra layers to their volcanic sources and to facilitate their use as stratigraphic markers, I am currently refining proximal tephrostratigraphies in the South Aegean Volcanic Arc. The near-vent pyroclastic deposits are characterized using high-precision dating techniques (Ar-Ar, U-Th-Pb, (U-Th)/He) and geochemical glass microanalyses (EPMA, LA-ICP-MS, SIMS). These data allow to establish new, and to revise established, proximal-distal tephra correlations, ultimately yielding a refined tephrostratigraphic framework for the Middle Pleistocene of the greater Eastern Mediterranean region.

 

Short CV:

since 09/2021

Postdoctoral researcher, Institute of Earth Sciences, Heidelberg University

2020 - 2021

Researcher, Institute of Earth Sciences, Heidelberg University 

2016 - 2020

PhD in Geology (Dr. rer. nat.), Heidelberg University, Germany
Title of PhD thesis: Advancing tephrostratigraphic frameworks for the European Quaternary: Insight from terrestrial and marine cryptotephra records in the Eastern Mediterranean region and the Eurasian Arctic. Supervisors: Dr. Andreas Koutsodendris, Dr. habil. Sabine Wulf, Prof. Jörg Pross

2011 - 2013

MSc in Geology, St. Petersburg State University, Russia

2009 - 2016

Graduate Research Assistant, Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, Russia

2005 - 2009

Lab Assistant, St. Petersburg State University, Russia

2003 - 2009

Diploma in Geography, St. Petersburg State University, Russia

 

Field Work / Scientific Expeditions:

2021

Field Trip to west Aegean Arc, Greece (volcanic rock sampling)

2017/2018

RV METEOR, cruise M144, Eastern Mediterranean Sea

2012

Expedition Taimyr 2012, Arctic Siberia, Russia (geological mapping & paleoenvironmental studies)

2010

Expedition Lena 2010, Arctic Siberia, Russia (lake sediment coring)

2009

Expedition Lena 2009, Arctic Siberia, Russia (lake sediment coring)

 

Other Experience:

2018

Field trip in the Carpathian Volcanic region, INTAV International Field Conference on Tephrochronology, Romania

2016

Summer School 'Dates and Rates of Change in the Quaternary', Eifel Volcanic Field, Germany

2015

Training course ‘Assessing the impact of climate change and its effects on soil and water resources in polar and mountainous regions’, International Atomic Energy Agency project INT/5/153, Svalbard, Norway

 

Third-party funded research projects:

• “Glass geochemistry and ages of Middle Pleistocene (130–770 ka) pyroclastic deposits from the Aegean Arc: Towards a refined tephrostratigraphy for the Eastern Mediterranean region” (PI; DFG; 2021) 

 

 

Publications:

(as of 01/2024; * denotes ISI journals)

 

2024:

[13]* Engel, M., Hess, K., Dawson, S., Patel, T., Koutsodendris, A., Vakhrameeva, P., Klemt, E., Kempf, P., Schön, I., Heyvaert, V.M.A., 2024. Sedimentary evidence of the late Holocene tsunami in the Shetland Islands (UK) at Loch Flugarth, northern Mainland. Boreas 53, 27-41.

[12]* Hess, K., Engel, M., Patel, T., Vakhrameeva, P., Koutsodendris, A., Klemt, E., Hansteen, T.H., Kempf, P., Dawson, S., Schön, I., Heyvaert, V.M.A., 2024. A 1500-years record of North Atlantic storminess from the Shetland Islands (UK). Journal of Quaternary Science 39, 37-53.

 

2023:

[11]* Koutsodendris, A., Dakos, V., Fletcher, W.J., Knipping, M., Kotthoff, U., Milner, A.M., Müller, U.C., Kaboth-Bahr, S., Kern, O.A., Kolb, L., Vakhrameeva, P., Wulf, S., Christanis, K., Schmiedl, G., Pross, J., 2023. Atmospheric CO₂ forcing on Mediterranean biomes during the past 500 kyrs. Nature Communications 14, 1664.

 

2021:

[10] Pross, J., Bahr, A., Berke, M., Blum, M., Brzelinski, S., Campos, H., Catunda, M.C., Evers, F., Ka­both, S., Kotthoff, U., Koutsodendris, A., Krengel, T., Lange, D., Lippold, J., Mächtle, B., Manta, K., Mai­cher, D., Norris, R.D., Pöppelmeier, F., Ravani, A., Schulz, H., Süfke, F., Sugla, R., Vakhrameeva, P., Vannacci, M., Otte, F., Raeke, A., 2021. Eastern Mediterranean pa­leo­climate and ecosystems dur­ing the rise of early civilizations, Cruise No. M144, December 27, 2017 – January 18, 2018, Hera­k­lion (Gree­ce) – Catania (Italy). METEOR-Berichte M144, 1, 1-40.

[9]* Vakhrameeva, P., Koutsodendris, A., Wulf, S., Portnyagin, M., Appelt, O., Ludwig, T., Trieloff, M., Pross, J, 2021. Land-sea correlations in the Eastern Mediterranean region over the past c. 800 kyr based on macro- and cryptotephras from ODP Site 964 (Ionian Basin). Quaternary Science Reviews 255, 106811.

 

2020:

[8]* Vakhrameeva, P., Portnyagin, M., Ponomareva, V., Abbott, P., Repkina, T., Novikova, A., Koutsodendris, A., Pross., J., 2020. Identification of Icelandic tephras from the last two millennia in the White Sea region (Vodoprovodnoe peat bog, NW Russia). Journal of Quaternary Science 35, 493-504.

[7]* Wulf, S., Keller, J., Satow, C., Gertisser, R., Kraml, M., Grant, K.M., Appelt, O., Vakhrameeva, P., Koutsodendris, A., Hardiman, M., Schulz, H., Pross, J., 2020. Advancing Santorini’s te­phro­­stra­tigraphy: new glass geochemical data and improved marine-terrestrial tephra cor­re­la­tions for the past ~360 kyrs. Earth-Science Reviews 200, 102964.

 

2019:

[6]* Vakhrameeva, P., Wulf, S., Koutsodendris, A., Tjallingii, R., Fletcher, W.J., Appelt, O., Ludwig, T., Knipping, M., Trieloff, M., Pross, J., 2019. Eastern Mediterranean volcanism during Marine Isotope Stages 9 to 7e (335–235 ka): Insights from cryptotephra layers at Tenaghi Phi­lip­pon, Greece. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 380, 31-47.

 

2018:

[5]* Vakhrameeva, P., Koutsodendris, A., Wulf, S., Fletcher, W.J., Appelt, O., Knipping, M., Ger­tis­ser, R., Trieloff, M., Pross, J., 2018. The cryptotephra record of the Marine Iso­tope Stage 12 to 10 interval (460–335 ka) at Tenaghi Philippon, Greece: Exploring chro­no­lo­gi­cal markers for the Middle Pleistocene of the Eastern Mediterranean region. Qua­ter­­nary Scien­ce Reviews 200, 313-333.

[4]* Wulf, S., Hardiman, M., Staff, R.A., Koutsodendris, A., Appelt, O., Blockley, S.P.E., Lowe, J.J., Man­ning, C.J., Ottolini, L., Schmitt, A.K., Smith, V.C., Tomlinson, E.L., Vakhrameeva, P., Knip­ping, M., Kotthoff, U., Milner, A.M., Müller, U.C., Christanis, K., Kalaitzidis, S., Tzedakis, C., Schmiedl, G., Pross, J., 2018. The Marine Isotope Stage 1 to 5 cryptotephra record of Te­na­ghi Philippon, Greece: Towards a detailed tephrostratigraphic framework for the Eastern Medi­ter­ranean region. Qua­ter­­nary Science Reviews 186, 236-262.  

[3]* Ponomareva, V., Polyak, L., Portnyagin, M., Abbott, P.M., Zelenin, E., Vakhrameeva, P., Garbe-Schönberg, D., 2018. Holocene tephra from the Chukchi-Alaskan margin, Arctic Ocean: Implications for sediment chronostratigraphy and volcanic history. Quaternary Geochronology 45, 85-97.

 

2016:

[2]* Biskaborn, B.K., Subetto, D.A., Savelieva, L.A., Vakhrameeva, P.S., Hansche, A., Herzschuh, U., Klemm, J., Heinecke, L., Pestryakova, L.A., Meyer, H., Kuhn, G., Diekmann, B., 2016. Late Quaternary vegetation and lake system dynamics in north-eastern Siberia: Implications for seasonal climate variability. Quaternary Science Reviews 147, 406-421.

 

2011:

[1]* Korjenkov, A.M., Abdieva, S.V., Dzhumabaeva, A.B., Fortuna, A.B., Mamyrov, E., Morozova, E.A., Orlova, L.A., Vakhrameeva, P.S., 2011. Strong historical earthquakes in the northwestern Issyk Kul’ basin (northern Tien Shan). Russian Geology and Geophysics 52, 1007-1015.