Tinted detail of a photo: Black-and-white rock face where thin layers of rock bend upwards in a broad dome shape like an arch, rising from loose stones and a small plant at the base.
SSP
Stratigraphy, Sedimentology and Palaeontology

About

Welcome to the blog of the Stratigraphy, Sedimentology and Palaeontology (SSP) Division of the European Geosciences Union (EGU).

This blog is a platform sharing exciting SSP academic and applied topics with a broad and interdisciplinary community. Here you will find latest news in SSP related research, events, field trips, and outreach. If you are interested in writing a post, please contact the editors below. Thank you for following us!

The opinions expressed in the Stratigraphy, Sedimentology and Palaeontology blog are those of the authors, whose views may differ from those of the European Geosciences Union.

Editors

Contact: blog-ssp@egu.eu

  • Avatar photo
    Mathias Vinnepand (Chief editor)
    I am an early career scientist with a major focus on atmospheric dust dynamics and sedimentological- and geochemical processes that occur across continents in the course of climatic- and environmental change. Since I started my PhD studies at the University of Mainz, I have worked on terrestrial sediment archives (Loess-Palaeosol-Sequences in western Central Europe, Western Europe and Southern Asia) as well as on lake sediments (Lake Bosumtwi in West Africa). Currently, I am working as a MOPGA fellow at Géosciences Rennes, with a special focus on Loess-Palaeosol-Sequences in the Brittany.

About the SSP Division

The Stratigraphy, Sedimentology and Palaeontology Division (SSP) focuses its activities on all aspects of the sedimentary record. About 70% of the Earth surface is covered by sedimentary deposits, which are eroded and deposited right at the contact between the solid lithosphere and the atmosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere. Sedimentary rocks record the history of our planet since almost 4 billion of years and play a pivotal role for our understanding of the evolution of life. This deep-time archive of Earth history is studied with a wide range of analytical techniques providing ever stunning details on the evolution of our planet. Sedimentary basins host important natural resources like coal, gas, oil, ore deposits and groundwater and therefore a better understanding of the physical, chemical and biological processes controlling the formation and distribution of sediments and sedimentary rocks is of utmost importance for our society.

About EGU

The European Geosciences Union (EGU) is the leading organisation for Earth, planetary and space science research in Europe. With our partner organisations worldwide, we foster fundamental geoscience research, alongside applied research that addresses key societal and environmental challenges. Our vision is to realise a sustainable and just future for humanity and for the planet.

It is a non-profit international union of scientists with about 23,500 members from all over the world. Membership is open to individuals who are professionally engaged in or associated with geosciences and planetary and space sciences and related studies, including students and retired seniors.

The EGU publishes a number of diverse scientific journals, which use an innovative open access format, and organises topical meetings, and education and outreach activities. It also honours scientists with a number of awards and medals. The annual EGU General Assembly is the largest and most prominent European geosciences event, attracting over 22,000 scientists from all over the world in the year 2026. The meeting’s sessions cover a wide range of topics, including volcanology, planetary exploration, the Earth’s internal structure and atmosphere, climate, as well as energy and resources.

The EGU was established in September 2002 as a merger of the European Geophysical Society (EGS) and the European Union of Geosciences (EUG), and has headquarters in Munich, Germany.