Dipl.-Ing. Thomas Fuhrmann

Field of work
  • Satellite geodesy: SAR interferometry, GNSS
  • Geodynamics: Derivation of surface displacements from levelling, GNSS, InSAR
  • Spatio-temporal analysis of tectonic and man-induced surface displacements
  • Validation and data fusion into a 3d velocity field
Projects
  • DFG project HE 1433/17-1: Vertical crustal movements in the Upper Rhine Graben area derived from precise levelling and SAR interferometry
  • DFG-Projekt HE 1433/17-2: Vertical crustal movements in the Upper Rhine Graben area derived from precise levelling, SAR interferometry and GNSS
  • Analysis of recent surface movements in Northern Switzerland and South-Western Germany for NAGRA (National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste, Switzerland)
  • Assessment of surface displacements over gas production fields in Northern Germany, part of DGMK project 776 "Reservoir Management and Seismicity"
Publications

Peer-reviewed Journals:

  • Fuhrmann, T. / Caro Cuenca, M. / Knöpfler, A. / van Leijen, F.J. / Mayer, M. / Westerhaus, M. / Hanssen, R.F. / Heck, B.: Estimation of small surface displacements in the Upper Rhine Graben area from a combined analysis of PS-InSAR, levelling and GNSS data. Geophysical Journal International, 203 (1): 614-631, doi: 10.1093/gji/ggv328, 2015.
  • Fuhrmann, T. / Zippelt, K. / Heck, B.: Historische Nivellements aus Preußen und Baden und ihre Bedeutung für die Bestimmung von Vertikalbewegungen im Oberrheingrabengebiet. Zeitschrift für Vermessungswesen (zfv), 139 (6), 389-397, 2014.
  • Fuhrmann, T. / Westerhaus, M. / Zippelt, K. / Heck, B.: Vertical displacement rates in the Upper Rhine graben Area derived from precise leveling. Journal of Geodesy, Volume 88, Issue 8, pp 773-787, doi: 10.1007/s00190-014-0721-0, 2014.
  • Fuhrmann, T. / Luo, X. / Knöpfler, A. / Mayer, M.: Generating statistically robust multipath stacking maps using congruent cells. GPS Solutions, Volume 19, Issue 1, pp 83-92, doi: 10.1007/s10291-014-0367-7, 2014.
  • Fuhrmann, T. / Heck, B. / Knöpfler, A. / Masson, F. / Mayer, M. / Ulrich, P. / Westerhaus, M. / Zippelt, K.: Recent surface displacements in the Upper Rhine Graben - Preliminary results from geodetic networks. Tectonophysics, Special Issue "TOPO-EUROPE III", 602(0):300 – 315, doi: 10.1016/j.tecto.2012.10.012, 2013.
Awards
  • DVW Young Author Award 2015 (best zfv paper in 2014)
  • Winner of the Science Slam on behalf of Intergeo / Geodetic Week 2015
  • Harbert book prize 2012 incl. a free DVW membership (best graduates of a university)
  • Prize of the Ludwig Lenz foundation 2011 (extraordinatry achievements in the Diploma exams)
  • Environmental award of the Sparkasse 2010 (for outstanding doctoral, diploma/master or academic project theses in the field of environmental science)
Education
  • Geodetic Applications of SAR-Interferometry
  • Gravimetry
  • GNSS exercises
  • Supervision of Bachelor and Master theses

 

Curriculum Vitae

Scientific career

10/2004 - 03/2010 Academic studies of Geodesy & Geoinformatics at KIT
10/2006 Intermediate diploma
01/2009 

Seminar paper: Investigation of NURBS functions for the modelling of surfaces with the FLIC software package.

Summary (German)
03/2010

Graduate Engineer of Geodesy & Geoinformatics
Diploma thesis: On the potential of GNSS reference sites using PPP analyses of the GNSS Upper Rhine Graben Network GURN.

Summary (German)
04/2010 - today Research assistant at KIT, projects:
04/2010 - 01/2013

Project HE 1433/17-1 funded by German Research Foundation (DFG): Vertical crustal movements in the Upper Rhine Graben area derived from precise levelling and SAR interferometry
01/2012 - 09/2012 Analysis of recent surface movements in Northern Switzerland and South-Western Germany for NAGRA (National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste, Switzerland)
01/2013 - 01/2015 Project HE 1433/17-2 funded by German Research Foundation (DFG): Vertical crustal movements in the Upper Rhine Graben area derived from precise levelling, SAR interferometry and GNSS
01/2015 - 05/2015 Assessment of surface displacements over gas production fields in Northern Germany, part of DGMK project 776 "Reservoir Management and Seismicity".

 

Stay abroad

08/2008 - 09/2008 Participation at the excavation campaign of the German Archeological Institute (DAI) in Pergamon (Western Turkey)
Main tasks: Creation of a 3D model of the "castle hill" using GPS measurements, Installation of benchmarks, Surveying of archeological objects
03/2009 Responsible for surveying tasks at a rescue excavation at a tumulus in Elaia (ancient harbour of Pergamon)
Tasks: 3D model of the mound, photogrammetric survey of the tumulus layers
08/2009 Renewed participation at the summer excavation campaign of DAI
(Tasks: see above)
06/2014 - 08/2014 Research stay at the Department of Geoscience and Remote Sensing, TU Delft, The Netherlands, Cooperation with the Radar Group of Prof.dr.ir. Ramon Hanssen.
Main research topic: Combination of surface displacements measured by SAR-Interferometry, levelling and GNSS

 

Research and Projects

Crustal movements in the Upper Rhine Graben (URG)

DFG Project: Vertical crustal movements in the Upper Rhine Graben area derived from precise levelling, SAR interferometry and GNSS

1. Project phase: 04/2010 - 04/2012

Consistent transnational analysis of levelling data in the URG region measured by German, French and Swiss surveying agencies.

Objective: Derivation of vertical displacement rates at levelling benchmarks from a kinematic adjustement of levelling measurements.

Analysed levelling network: 

Levelling data in the URG area

Project partners (data supply):

2. Project phase: 01/2013 - 01/2015

Analysis of SAR data acquired by ESA's satellites ERS-1/2 and Envisat using Persistent Scatterer SAR Interferometry (PS-InSAR).

Objectives: Derivation of displacement rates from PS-InSAR analyses in the URG region. Comparison, Validation and Combination with results obtained from levelling and GNSS analyses of the GNSS Upper Rhine Graben network GURN.

SAR footprints, GNSS sites and levelling network in the URG region:

Geodetic data sets in the URG area

 

ERS-1/2 and Envisat SAR data provided by:

ESA logo

Presentation given at the 74th annual meeting of the German Geophysical Society (DGG): Download

Publications

The list of publications can be seen on the German staff page of Thomas Fuhrmann.

More detailed information is available within the KIT-network.