I am interested in the broad field of metal geochemistry in the land ocean continuum while focussing on the reconstruction of marine biogeochemical processes. I use inorganic analytical techniques to study the concentration and isotopic composition of metals in aqueous and sediment samples. I am notably interested in the cycling of Ag, Tl, Hg, Ni, Cd, Fe, Mo in coastal marine and upwelling areas, including metal sources and sinks as well as removal and regeneration mechanisms. I also use metals as proxies to discern atmospheric changes from ocean circulation changes in geological climate records, and to evaluate the natural state of ecosystems from anthropogenic perturbations.

Selected key publications

Gäng, F., Böning, P. Brüchert, V., Lahajnar, N. and Pahnke, K. 2023 Critical assessment of U, Ba and Ni as redox and productivity proxies in organic-rich sediments underneath dynamic, highly productive waters. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 348, 206-220, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2023.03.015 

Böning, P., Schnetger, B., Belz, L., Ferdelman, T., Brumsack, H.-J., Pahnke, K. 2020. Sedimentary iron cycling in the Benguela upwelling system off Namibia. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 538, 116212, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116212.

Böning, P., Schnetger, B., Beck, M., Brumsack, H.-J. 2018. Thallium dynamics in the Southern North Sea. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 227, 143-155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2018.02.024

Böning, P., Shaw, T., Pahnke, K., Brumsack, H.-J. 2015. Nickel as indicator of fresh organic matter in upwelling sediments. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 162, 99–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2015.04.027

https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=list_works&hl=de&user=PvYxJ-wAAAAJ

https://orcid.org/0009-0003-7375-4567