Current Position

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Research Interests

Physical Geography, Geomorphology, Fluvial Geomorphology, Cosmogenic Nuclide Dating, Geochronology

Ongoing Projects

1. Quaternary river incision in the western Rhenish massif:

a) cosmogenic nuclide (10Be & 26Al) and palaeomagnetic dating of fluvial terraces in the lower Moselle valley (Germany). Project funded by the German Research Council (DFG), start: 07/2013. In cooperation with Prof. Tibor Dunai (University of Cologne), Dr. Stéphane Cordier (University of Paris) and Dr. Ulrich Hambach (University of Bayreuth);

b) cosmogenic nuclide dating of fluvial sediments (10Be & 26Al) in the Ardennes massif (Belgium). In cooperation with Prof. Didier Bourlès, Dr. Régis Braucher (both CEREGE) and Dr. Alain Demoulin (University of Liège).

2. Collaborative Research Centre 806: Our Way to Europe; Cluster C2. Research topic: cosmogenic nuclide dating of moraines (Atlas) and OSL dating of fluvial sediments in northern Morocco, PI's: Prof. Gerd-Christian Weniger, Prof. Helmut Brückner.

3. Dating of tsunami deposits on the Cape Verde Islands. Project funded by the Dr. Hohmann-Förderung and KölnAlumni e.V., in cooperation with Dr. Simon Matthias May, Dr. Max Engel (both University of Cologne) and Dr. Raphael Paris (University of Clermont-Ferrand). 

Awards/Grants

Fund from the German Research Council (DFG) for the research project "Quaternary river incision in the western Rhenish massif: cosmogenic nuclide dating (10Be/26Al) of fluvial terraces in the lower Moselle valley (Germany), from July 2013 on.

Dr. Hohmann Funding by the Gesellschaft für Erkünde zu Köln e.V. for the research project "Dating of tsunami deposits on the Cape Verde and Canary Islands using cosmogenic nuclide (36Cl)", June 2012.

Start-up grant by KölnAlumni e.V. for field work of the research project "Dating of tsunami deposits on the Cape Verde and Canary Islands using cosmogenic nuclide (36Cl)", January 2012.

Award from the Belgian Royal Academy of Sciences for the work: "Datation de l'incision quaternaire des rivières du massif ardennais par les nucléides cosmogénques terrestres (10Be/26Al)", December 2010.

PhD grant from the belgian FRS-FNRS (Fund for Scientific Research), 2006-2010. 

Publications

(◊ Peer-reviewed journals)

May, S.M., Zander, A., Francois, J.-P., Kelletat, D., Pötsch, S., Rixhon, G., Brückner, H. 2014 (In press). Chronological and geoarchaeological investigations on an anthropogenic shell accumulation layer in the Longotoma dune field (Central Chile). Quaternary International, 1-10.◊

Rixhon, G., Bourlès, D.L., Braucher, R., Siame, L., Cordy, J.-M., Demoulin, A., 2014. 10Be dating of the Main Terrace level in the Amblève valley (Ardennes, Belgium): new age constraint on the archaeological and palaeontological filling of the Belle-Roche palaeokarst. Boreas 43(2), 528-542.◊

May, S.M., Pint, A., Rixhon, G., Kelletat, D., Wennrich, V., Brückner, H., 2013. Late Holocene coastal stratigraphy, coastal changes and potential palaeoseismological implications inferred from geo-archives in Central Chile (29-32° S). Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie 57(4), 201-228.◊

Rixhon, G. & Demoulin, A., 2013 (sollicited). Evolution of slopes in a cold climate. In Shroder J. (Editor in Chief), Giardino, R., Harbor, J. (Eds.), Treatise on Geomorphology, Academic Press, San Diego, CA, vol. 8, Glacial and Periglacial Geomorphology, pp. 392-415.

Demoulin, A., Beckers, A., Rixhon, G., Braucher, R., Bourlès, D. & Siame, L., 2012. Fluvial incision in the Ardennes (W Europe): Interplay between tectonically triggered regressive erosion and climatic cyclicity. Netherlands Journal of Geosciences 91(1-2), 79-90.◊

Rixhon, G., 2011. L'incision quaternaire des rivières du massif ardennais. Datation de terrasses fluviatiles dans le bassin de la Meuse par les nucléides cosmogéniques terrestres 10Be & 26Al (Promotionsarbeit). Editions Universitaires Européennes (ISBN Nummer: 978-613-1-59628-5), Sarrebrück, 212 Seiten.

Rixhon, G., Bourlès, D., Braucher, R., Siame, L., Bovy, B. & Demoulin, A., 2011. Quaternary river incision in NE Ardennes (Belgium) – Insights from 10Be/26Al dating of river terraces. Quaternary Geochronology 6,273-284.◊

Rixhon, G. & Demoulin, A., 2010. Fluvial terraces of the Amblève: a marker of the Quaternary river incision in the NE Ardennes Massif (western Europe). Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie 54(2), 161-180.◊

Rixhon, G. & Juvigné, E., 2010. Periglacial deposits and correlated processes in the Ninglinspo valley (Ardennes Massif, Belgium). Geologica Belgica 13(1-2), 49-60.◊

Demoulin, A., Hallot, E. & Rixhon, G., 2009. Amount and controls of the quaternary denudation in the Ardennes massif (western Europe). Earth, Surface, Processes and Landforms 34(11), 1487-1496.◊

Demoulin, A., Bovy, B., Rixhon, G. & Cornet, Y., 2007. An automated method to extract fluvial terraces from digital elevation models: the Vesdre Valley, a case study in eastern Belgium. Geomorphology 91, 51-64.◊ 

Conferences/Presentations (oral communication* & poster**)

2013:

IAG, August − Paris. Rixhon, G., Paris, R, Brückner, H., Engel, M., May, S.M., Binnie, S., Dunai, T., Herzog, M., Schukraft, G. " Dating tsunami deposits triggered by the catastrophic flank collapse of Fogo Island, Cape Verde Islands: insights from ESR, U/Th and 36Cl ages." *

IAG, August − Paris. Rixhon, G., Brückner, H., Engel, M., May, S.M., Binnie, S., Dunai, T. "Dating tsunami-induced transport of coral reef megaclasts on Bonaire (Leeward Antilles): a cosmogenic nuclide dating approach (36Cl)." **

IAG, August − Paris. Cordier, S., Rixhon, G., Harmand, D., Brückner, H., Kelterbaum, D., Dunai, T., Binnie, S. "Unraveling the Quaternary river incision in the Moselle and the Sarre valleys (Rhenish massif, Germany): insights from cosmogenic nuclide dating (10Be/26Al) of fluvial terraces". *

IAG, August − Paris. May, S.M., Brückner, H., Hilgers, A., Kelletat, D., Poetsch, S., Rixhon, G., Zander, A. "Investigations on anthropogenic shell accumulations in the Longotoma dune complex (Central Chile) - geochronological data and palaeoenvironmental context." **

2012:

IGC, August − Cologne. Rixhon, G., Brückner, H., Dunai, T., Kelletat, D., May, S.M., "Dating coastal landforms in Central Chile by cosmogenci nuclides: in situ 10Be ages of a wave-cut platform and a depositional marine terrace." **

IGC, August − Cologne. Rixhon, G., Brückner, H., Engel., M., May, S.M., Dunai, T. "Dating tsunami-induced transport of coral reef megaclasts on Bonaire (Leeward Antilles): a cosmogenic nuclide dating approach (36Cl). *

AMK, April – Mainz. May, S.M., Brückner, H., Cisternas, M., Kelletat, D., Pint, A., Rixhon, G., Scheder, J. "Sedimentological and geomorphological investigations on coastal geo-archives in central Chile (29-32°S) – tracing the Great 1730 Great Valparaiso earthquake?" **

BELQUA, March – Brussels. Rixhon, G., Bourlès, D., Braucher, R., Siame, L., Cordy J.-M,. Demoulin, A. In situ 10Be concentration measurements in sediments of the Amblève Main Terrace (Ardennes, Belgium): dating the archeo-paleontological filling of the Belle-Roche paleokarst at ~550 ka (MIS 14/13). *

2011:

ESF, August – Obergürgl (Austria). Rixhon, G., Braucher, R., Bourlès, D., Siame, L., Bovy, B. Demoulin, A. “Reconstructing the middle Pleistocene uplift/incision episode in NE Ardennes (Belgium) – Insights from 10Be/26Al dating of river terraces.” European Science Foundation (ESF) conference on cosmogenic nuclides. **

INQUA, July – Bern. Rixhon, G., Braucher, R., Bourlès, D., Siame, L., Bovy, B. Demoulin, A. “Unraveling the Quaternary river incision in the Meuse catchment (NE Ardennes massif, Belgium): insights from 10Be/26Al dating of fluvial terraces.” ID 3389. **

INQUA, July – Bern. Rixhon, G., Braucher, R., Bourlès, D., Siame, L., Demoulin, A. “The presence of Homo erectus in NW Europe (Belle-Roche site, eastern Belgium) at ~600 ka attested by Terrestrial Cosmogenic Nuclide dating (10Be).” ID 3376. **

EGU, April – Vienna. Rixhon, G., Braucher, R., Bourlès, D., Siame, L., Demoulin, A. “Human presence at Belle-Roche, in the Ardenne massif (western Europe): Terrestrial Cosmogenic Nuclides (10Be) dating of fluvial sediments confirms an age of ~580 ka.” Geophysical Research Abstracts, ID 7344. **

2010:

University Lumière Lyon 2, November – Lyon. Rixhon, G. “Datation de terrasses fluviatiles par les nucléides cosmogéniques in situ 10Be et 26Al.” Konferenz: Méthodes de datation: applications et limites (Maison de l’Orient et de la Méditerranée). *

EGU, April – Vienna. Rixhon, G., Bourlès, D., Braucher, R., Siame, L., Bovy, B., Demoulin, A. “Quaternary river incision in the uplifted Rhenish massif (Ardennes, Belgium) - Insights from 10Be/26Al dating of river terraces.” Geophysical Research Abstracts, ID 11419. *

2009:

ANZIAG, July – Melbourne. Rixhon, G., Braucher, R., Siame, L., Bourlès, D., Demoulin, A. “10Be and 26Al dating of river terraces and quaternary incision rates in the Rhenish massif (western Europe).” *

ANZIAG, July – Melbourne. Demoulin, A., Bovy, B., Hallot, E., Rixhon, G. “Quaternary river incision and denudation in the uplifted Ardenne (W Europe): Tectonic or climatic control?” **

EGU, April – Vienna. Rixhon, G., Braucher, R., Siame, L., Bourlès, D., Demoulin, A. “10Be and 26Al dating of river terraces and quaternary incision rates in the Ardenne massif (eastern Belgium)”. Geophysical Research Abstracts, ID 9419. **

BELQUA, March  – Brussels. Rixhon, G., Braucher, R., Siame, L., Bourlès, D., Demoulin, A. “Terrestrial Cosmogenic Nuclides dating (10Be) of river terraces and Quaternary evolution of the aredennian hydrographic network”. *

2008:

EGU, April – Vienna. Rixhon, G., Braucher, R., Siame, L., Bourlès, D., Demoulin, A. “Fluvial terrace dating (10Be) and quaternary incision rates in the Amblève valley (eastern Belgium)”. Geophysical Research Abstracts, ID 07790. **

EGU, April – Vienna. Demoulin, A., Hallot, E., Rixhon, G. “Quaternary river incision versus denudation in the uplifted Ardenne (W Europe)”. Geophysical Research Abstracts, ID 01718. **

2007:

TopoEurope, Mai  – Roma. Demoulin, A., Rixhon, G. “Recent uplift of the western Rhenish shield (Ardenne-Eifel): data and pending questions”. **

EGU, April – Vienna. Rixhon, G., Bovy, B., Hallot, E., Bourlès, D., Demoulin, A. “The quaternary uplift and river incision of the Rhenish Massif: a cosmogenic nuclides (10Be) approach”. Geophysical Research Abstracts, ID A-02389. **