[NOTE: This page is at the moment not actively managed]
Some impressions of previous fieldwork, scientific excursions, or private trips since the beginning of my geography studies and the adoption of a "geographic perspective" on our diverse environments! (Please inquire if you wish to use any of the photos)
Some impressions of previous fieldwork, scientific excursions, or private trips since the beginning of my geography studies and the adoption of a "geographic perspective" on our diverse environments! (Please inquire if you wish to use any of the photos)
Andorra, Canillo (2024): The Pont Tibetà is one of the longest pedestrian suspension bridges in the world (Photo by Izabella Baisheva)
Austria, Upper Austria (2022): Sunrise near the Hallstätter Glacier, Dachstein Mountains
Austria, Vienna (2022): Geoscientists might recognize this place immediately - view from the Austria Center Vienna congress center during EGU2022
Austria, Upper Austria (2025): Fieldwork on snowshoes in the Dachstein Mountains
Belgium, Brussels (2026): Construction site in front of the Berlaymont building, the headquarters of the European Commission
Belgium, Flemish Brabant, Leuven (2026): A sediment core exhibited on the campus of KU Leuven, related to studies on the regional landscape evolution in the Dyle floodplain (see https://ees.kuleuven.be/nld/floodplainscapes/dijlevallei/)
China, Shanghai (2019): Pudong/Lujiazui skyline at night
China, Zhejiang, Hangzhou (2019): Rainy day on the West Lake
China, Inner Mongolia, Hohhot (2025): Yurt in the Chilechuan Grassland
China, Shaanxi, Xi'an (2025): Walk along the well-preserved 14th century city wall
China, Shaanxi, Xi'an (2025): The Terracotta Army at the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang
China, Shaanxi (2025): View of the Loess Plateau
China, Sichuan, Chengdu (2025): Donghuamen ruins park with Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE) canal ruins and a reconstructed Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) mansion footprint
China, Tianjin (2025): Colonial history with the former Italian concession near the modern CBD
China, Beijing, Changping (2025): View from Yinshan
China, Beijing (2025): Astronomical instruments on the Beijing Ancient Observatory, one of the oldest in the world
Czech Republic, Prague (2024): View across the city from Prague Castle
Denmark, Copenhagen (2022): Colorful facades along the famous Nyhavn canal
Estonia (2015): Bog landscape in the Lahemaa National Park
Estonia, Tallinn (2015): View from Vanalinn
Finland, Turku, Ruissalo (2015): Erratic boulder ("findling"), split by frost weathering
Finland, Svedjehamn (2015): This region in the Gulf of Bothnia experiences record rates of isostatic uplift
France, Paris (2022): View from the Eiffel Tower towards La Défense
France, Paris (2022): View from Centre Pompidou, with Montmatre and La Défense in the background
France, Aude (2024): Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse in the "land of the Cathars"
Germany, Bavaria (2018): Dendrochronology fieldwork in the Allgäu Alps
Germany, Berlin (2018): View from the Global Tower at Potsdamer Platz towards Alexanderplatz
Germany, Bavaria (2020): Approaching the summit of Großer Daumen in the Allgäu Alps
Germany, Bavaria, Munich (2021): View from the church tower of St. Peter - a part of the Alps can be seen along the horizon
Germany, Bavaria (2021): View from the Nebelhorn mountain in the Allgäu Alps
Germany, Brandenburg, Cottbus (2021): Flooding of an end-of-life open pit lignite mine to create an artificial lake, with both a coal power plant and a wind farm in the background
Germany, Brandenburg (2021): View from a levee towards frozen floodplains in the Lower Oder Valley International Park
Germany, Brandenburg (2022): Obtaining short lacustrine sediment cores
Germany, Sachsen-Anhalt (2022): Dead trees at Brocken in the Harz Mountains, as a combined result of spruce monoculture, climate change, and bark beetle infestation. These views sparked heated public debates about forest management.
Germany, Lower Saxony, Cuxhaven (2022): View of the tidal flats at the Wadden Sea
Germany, Brandenburg (2022): Pine forest near Treuenbrietzen, four years after a wildfire
Germany, Schleswig-Holstein, Helgoland (2022): Nightfall on the country's most "remote" island
Germany, Brandenburg, Potsdam (2024): Checking an extinguished small vegetation fire for remaining heat signatures with a thermal camera (with Freiwillige Feuerwehr Potsdam Zentrum)
Greece, Elis, Archaia Olympia (2018): Site of the ancient Olympics
Greece, Cephalonia, Asos (2018): View from Asos Castle towards the town, built on a narrow isthmus
Italy, Rome (2022): View from the Tiber River towards Vatican City
Italy, Campania (2022): View into the crater of Mt. Vesuvius, an active stratovolcano
Italy, Campania, Ercolano (2022): Remains of the ancient city of Herculaneum, which was destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE
Japan, Hiroshima (2017): Also remains, but not as ancient - view of the A-Bomb Dome or Hiroshima Peace Memorial, destroyed by an atomic bomb in 1945 CE
Japan, Kyoto (2017): Inside Nanzen-ji, a Zen Buddhist temple initially established more than 700 years ago
Japan, Tokyo, Koto (2017): Tokyo Rinkai Disaster Prevention Park, a place to learn about preparedness with an earthquake simulator and great science communication - view into the operation room from where relief efforts can be directed across the city
Japan, Kyoto (2019): Kyoto International Conference Center, location where the Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1997 CE
Japan, Aichi Prefecture, Nagoya (2019): View from the CBD
Japan, Fukuoka (2019): This wall at Hakata Bay is a remaining defensive structure used by the Japanese during the attempted Mongol Invasion under Kublai Khan in the 13th century
Japan, Kumamoto (2019): Reconstruction work at Kumamoto Castle after it was damaged during the 2016 earthquakes
Japan, Kagoshima (2019): Protective shelter near the active Sakurajima volcano (background)
Japan, Kagoshima (2019): Debris being removed in a volcanic hazard mitigation canal near the active Sakurajima volcano (background)
Japan, Tokyo, Minato (2019): View from the Mori Tower in Roppongi Hills on what is still the most populous metro area in the world
Japan, Kyoto (2023): Evening at the Kamogawa, with Hieizan in the background
Japan, Tokyo, Shibuya (2023): View towards the famous scramble crossing from the Shibuya Hikarie highrise
Japan, Hokkaido, Abashiri (2023): Sea ice on the Sea of Okhotsk, delivering nutrients all the way from the Amur River - an ecological process endangered by climate change
Japan, Hokkaido, Toyako (2023): Remains of a suburb destroyed by the phreatic eruption of Mt. Usu in 2000 CE
Japan, Hokkaido (2023): View towards the crater of Mt. Usu, an active stratovolcano
Japan, Hokkaido (2023): View towards Asahidake, an active stratovolcano and highest mountain of Hokkaido
Japan, Hokkaido (2023): View of the Ohaichidaira caldera in the Daisetsuzan Mountains
Japan, Hokkaido (2023): Hike through alpine vegetation (e.g., Leontopodium discolor) on Rebun Island
Japan, Hokkaido, Biratori (2023): Nibutani is a prime location to learn from the Indigenous Ainu
Japan, Hokkaido, Akkeshi (2023): View towards the entrance to Akkeshi Bay, from an elevated multifunctional tsunami evacuation zone and recreational park
Japan, Hokkaido, Teshikaga (2024): View of Lake Mashu, a caldera lake with exceptional water transparency
Japan, Hokkaido, Sapporo (2024): High amounts of snow require special logistics to keep the metro area with a population of more than than two million running
Liechtenstein, Vaduz (2022): View across the city towards Switzerland on the other side of the valley
Netherlands, Utrecht, Stichtse Vecht (2025): Sunrise at the polder
Netherlands, South Holland, Rotterdam (2025): Kop van Zuid with the MS Rotterdam of the Holland America Line and the Erasmus Bridge, seen from a Watertaxi on the Nieuwe Maas
Netherlands, North Holland, Schoorl (2026): View from the Catrijper Nok, the highest dune of the Netherlands and at 55.4 m the highest point of the Holland provinces
Netherlands, North Holland, Petten (2026): View towards the North Sea and the Palendorp memorial installation. The wooden posts resemble structures of a former village that was swept away by floods. Today the village is protected by a newly reinforced dike (Hondsbossche Zeewering en Duinen)
Poland, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Szczecin (2021): View towards the National Museum and the Voivodeship Office Building along the Oder River
Poland, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Kołobrzeg (2022): Approaching the Baltic Sea
Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Oymyakonsky District (2021): Truck on the Kolyma Highway in the southern Verkhoyansk Mountains
Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Oymyakonsky District (2021): Fieldwork at remote lakes in the southern Verkhoyansk Mountains
Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Yakutsk (2021): Central district of the largest city built on continuous permafrost
Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Tattinsky District (2021): Wildfire smoke plume near Ytyk Kyuyol
Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Tattinsky District (2021): Burned larch forest near Ytyk Kyuyol
Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Churapchinsky District (2021): Track through degrading permafrost polygons (byllar)
Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Megino-Kangalassky District (2021): Expanding thermokarst lake (tyympy) near Maya
Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Megino-Kangalassky District (2021): Crossing the Lena River from Nizhny Bestyakh to Yakutsk - easier in winter when one can simply drive across the frozen river
Slovenia, Ljubljana (2025): View towards the Julian Alps from Ljubljana's historical Nebotičnik highrise building
Slovenia, Bled (2025): Picturesque Lake Bled in the Julian Alps, seen from Mala Osojnica
Slovenia, Postojna (2025): Impression from within the famous Postojna Cave
Slovenia, Divača (2025): View towards the karst sinkholes (dolines) at the Škocjan Caves
Spain, Catalonia, Girona (2024): View of the well-preserved historical center from the city wall (Photo by Izabella Baisheva)
Spain, Aragon, Zaragoza (2026): View of the Ebro river running through the city, seen from the northern tower of the Basilica del Pilar
Spain, Catalonia, Barcelona (2026): View towards central districts and the controversial Christopher Columbus Monument from Montjuïc
Switzerland, Geneva (2024): Mural at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)
Sweden, Skåne County, Malmö (2022): Colorful back streets
Sweden, Skåne County, Kåseberga (2022): Ale's Stones, one of the country's largest megalithic monuments
USA, California, Daly City (2023): View towards San Francisco after a hike in the San Bruno Mountain State Park
USA, California, San Francisco (2023): Smokey the Bear wildfire prevention poster - a controversial mascot among fire ecologists
USA, California, Marin Headlands (2023): View towards the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco Bay
USA, Pennsylvania (2026): Aerial view of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians
USA, Pennsylvania, State College (2026): Prescribed burn near Penn State University campus, seen from Mt. Nittany
Vatican City (2022): View from St. Peter's Basilica towards Rome
Andorra, Canillo (2024): The Pont Tibetà is one of the longest pedestrian suspension bridges in the world (Photo by Izabella Baisheva)
Austria, Upper Austria (2022): Sunrise near the Hallstätter Glacier, Dachstein Mountains
Austria, Vienna (2022): Geoscientists might recognize this place immediately - view from the Austria Center Vienna congress center during EGU2022
Austria, Upper Austria (2025): Fieldwork on snowshoes in the Dachstein Mountains
Belgium, Brussels (2026): Construction site in front of the Berlaymont building, the headquarters of the European Commission
Belgium, Flemish Brabant, Leuven (2026): A sediment core exhibited on the campus of KU Leuven, related to studies on the regional landscape evolution in the Dyle floodplain (see https://ees.kuleuven.be/nld/floodplainscapes/dijlevallei/)
China, Shanghai (2019): Pudong/Lujiazui skyline at night
China, Zhejiang, Hangzhou (2019): Rainy day on the West Lake
China, Inner Mongolia, Hohhot (2025): Yurt in the Chilechuan Grassland
China, Shaanxi, Xi'an (2025): Walk along the well-preserved 14th century city wall
China, Shaanxi, Xi'an (2025): The Terracotta Army at the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang
China, Shaanxi (2025): View of the Loess Plateau
China, Sichuan, Chengdu (2025): Donghuamen ruins park with Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE) canal ruins and a reconstructed Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) mansion footprint
China, Tianjin (2025): Colonial history with the former Italian concession near the modern CBD
China, Beijing, Changping (2025): View from Yinshan
China, Beijing (2025): Astronomical instruments on the Beijing Ancient Observatory, one of the oldest in the world
Czech Republic, Prague (2024): View across the city from Prague Castle
Denmark, Copenhagen (2022): Colorful facades along the famous Nyhavn canal
Estonia (2015): Bog landscape in the Lahemaa National Park
Estonia, Tallinn (2015): View from Vanalinn
Finland, Turku, Ruissalo (2015): Erratic boulder ("findling"), split by frost weathering
Finland, Svedjehamn (2015): This region in the Gulf of Bothnia experiences record rates of isostatic uplift
France, Paris (2022): View from the Eiffel Tower towards La Défense
France, Paris (2022): View from Centre Pompidou, with Montmatre and La Défense in the background
France, Aude (2024): Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse in the "land of the Cathars"
Germany, Bavaria (2018): Dendrochronology fieldwork in the Allgäu Alps
Germany, Berlin (2018): View from the Global Tower at Potsdamer Platz towards Alexanderplatz
Germany, Bavaria (2020): Approaching the summit of Großer Daumen in the Allgäu Alps
Germany, Bavaria, Munich (2021): View from the church tower of St. Peter - a part of the Alps can be seen along the horizon
Germany, Bavaria (2021): View from the Nebelhorn mountain in the Allgäu Alps
Germany, Brandenburg, Cottbus (2021): Flooding of an end-of-life open pit lignite mine to create an artificial lake, with both a coal power plant and a wind farm in the background
Germany, Brandenburg (2021): View from a levee towards frozen floodplains in the Lower Oder Valley International Park
Germany, Brandenburg (2022): Obtaining short lacustrine sediment cores
Germany, Sachsen-Anhalt (2022): Dead trees at Brocken in the Harz Mountains, as a combined result of spruce monoculture, climate change, and bark beetle infestation. These views sparked heated public debates about forest management.
Germany, Lower Saxony, Cuxhaven (2022): View of the tidal flats at the Wadden Sea
Germany, Brandenburg (2022): Pine forest near Treuenbrietzen, four years after a wildfire
Germany, Schleswig-Holstein, Helgoland (2022): Nightfall on the country's most "remote" island
Germany, Brandenburg, Potsdam (2024): Checking an extinguished small vegetation fire for remaining heat signatures with a thermal camera (with Freiwillige Feuerwehr Potsdam Zentrum)
Greece, Elis, Archaia Olympia (2018): Site of the ancient Olympics
Greece, Cephalonia, Asos (2018): View from Asos Castle towards the town, built on a narrow isthmus
Italy, Rome (2022): View from the Tiber River towards Vatican City
Italy, Campania (2022): View into the crater of Mt. Vesuvius, an active stratovolcano
Italy, Campania, Ercolano (2022): Remains of the ancient city of Herculaneum, which was destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE
Japan, Hiroshima (2017): Also remains, but not as ancient - view of the A-Bomb Dome or Hiroshima Peace Memorial, destroyed by an atomic bomb in 1945 CE
Japan, Kyoto (2017): Inside Nanzen-ji, a Zen Buddhist temple initially established more than 700 years ago
Japan, Tokyo, Koto (2017): Tokyo Rinkai Disaster Prevention Park, a place to learn about preparedness with an earthquake simulator and great science communication - view into the operation room from where relief efforts can be directed across the city
Japan, Kyoto (2019): Kyoto International Conference Center, location where the Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1997 CE
Japan, Aichi Prefecture, Nagoya (2019): View from the CBD
Japan, Fukuoka (2019): This wall at Hakata Bay is a remaining defensive structure used by the Japanese during the attempted Mongol Invasion under Kublai Khan in the 13th century
Japan, Kumamoto (2019): Reconstruction work at Kumamoto Castle after it was damaged during the 2016 earthquakes
Japan, Kagoshima (2019): Protective shelter near the active Sakurajima volcano (background)
Japan, Kagoshima (2019): Debris being removed in a volcanic hazard mitigation canal near the active Sakurajima volcano (background)
Japan, Tokyo, Minato (2019): View from the Mori Tower in Roppongi Hills on what is still the most populous metro area in the world
Japan, Kyoto (2023): Evening at the Kamogawa, with Hieizan in the background
Japan, Tokyo, Shibuya (2023): View towards the famous scramble crossing from the Shibuya Hikarie highrise
Japan, Hokkaido, Abashiri (2023): Sea ice on the Sea of Okhotsk, delivering nutrients all the way from the Amur River - an ecological process endangered by climate change
Japan, Hokkaido, Toyako (2023): Remains of a suburb destroyed by the phreatic eruption of Mt. Usu in 2000 CE
Japan, Hokkaido (2023): View towards the crater of Mt. Usu, an active stratovolcano
Japan, Hokkaido (2023): View towards Asahidake, an active stratovolcano and highest mountain of Hokkaido
Japan, Hokkaido (2023): View of the Ohaichidaira caldera in the Daisetsuzan Mountains
Japan, Hokkaido (2023): Hike through alpine vegetation (e.g., Leontopodium discolor) on Rebun Island
Japan, Hokkaido, Biratori (2023): Nibutani is a prime location to learn from the Indigenous Ainu
Japan, Hokkaido, Akkeshi (2023): View towards the entrance to Akkeshi Bay, from an elevated multifunctional tsunami evacuation zone and recreational park
Japan, Hokkaido, Teshikaga (2024): View of Lake Mashu, a caldera lake with exceptional water transparency
Japan, Hokkaido, Sapporo (2024): High amounts of snow require special logistics to keep the metro area with a population of more than than two million running
Liechtenstein, Vaduz (2022): View across the city towards Switzerland on the other side of the valley
Netherlands, Utrecht, Stichtse Vecht (2025): Sunrise at the polder
Netherlands, South Holland, Rotterdam (2025): Kop van Zuid with the MS Rotterdam of the Holland America Line and the Erasmus Bridge, seen from a Watertaxi on the Nieuwe Maas
Netherlands, North Holland, Schoorl (2026): View from the Catrijper Nok, the highest dune of the Netherlands and at 55.4 m the highest point of the Holland provinces
Netherlands, North Holland, Petten (2026): View towards the North Sea and the Palendorp memorial installation. The wooden posts resemble structures of a former village that was swept away by floods. Today the village is protected by a newly reinforced dike (Hondsbossche Zeewering en Duinen)
Poland, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Szczecin (2021): View towards the National Museum and the Voivodeship Office Building along the Oder River
Poland, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Kołobrzeg (2022): Approaching the Baltic Sea
Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Oymyakonsky District (2021): Truck on the Kolyma Highway in the southern Verkhoyansk Mountains
Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Oymyakonsky District (2021): Fieldwork at remote lakes in the southern Verkhoyansk Mountains
Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Yakutsk (2021): Central district of the largest city built on continuous permafrost
Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Tattinsky District (2021): Wildfire smoke plume near Ytyk Kyuyol
Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Tattinsky District (2021): Burned larch forest near Ytyk Kyuyol
Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Churapchinsky District (2021): Track through degrading permafrost polygons (byllar)
Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Megino-Kangalassky District (2021): Expanding thermokarst lake (tyympy) near Maya
Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Megino-Kangalassky District (2021): Crossing the Lena River from Nizhny Bestyakh to Yakutsk - easier in winter when one can simply drive across the frozen river
Slovenia, Ljubljana (2025): View towards the Julian Alps from Ljubljana's historical Nebotičnik highrise building
Slovenia, Bled (2025): Picturesque Lake Bled in the Julian Alps, seen from Mala Osojnica
Slovenia, Postojna (2025): Impression from within the famous Postojna Cave
Slovenia, Divača (2025): View towards the karst sinkholes (dolines) at the Škocjan Caves
Spain, Catalonia, Girona (2024): View of the well-preserved historical center from the city wall (Photo by Izabella Baisheva)
Spain, Aragon, Zaragoza (2026): View of the Ebro river running through the city, seen from the northern tower of the Basilica del Pilar
Spain, Catalonia, Barcelona (2026): View towards central districts and the controversial Christopher Columbus Monument from Montjuïc
Switzerland, Geneva (2024): Mural at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)
Sweden, Skåne County, Malmö (2022): Colorful back streets
Sweden, Skåne County, Kåseberga (2022): Ale's Stones, one of the country's largest megalithic monuments
USA, California, Daly City (2023): View towards San Francisco after a hike in the San Bruno Mountain State Park
USA, California, San Francisco (2023): Smokey the Bear wildfire prevention poster - a controversial mascot among fire ecologists
USA, California, Marin Headlands (2023): View towards the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco Bay
USA, Pennsylvania (2026): Aerial view of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians
USA, Pennsylvania, State College (2026): Prescribed burn near Penn State University campus, seen from Mt. Nittany
Vatican City (2022): View from St. Peter's Basilica towards Rome