Intensive field training and mapping course on Elba
At the beginning of the 2025 summer semester, geoscience students from the GeoZentrum Nordbayern (FAU) took part in a practice-oriented mapping course on the Italian island of Elba, where they intensively deepened their knowledge and practical skills in creating and interpreting geological maps. A particular focus was placed on developing a spatial understanding of geological structures in the three-dimensional space – a central element of geoscientific work. Elba offers ideal conditions for the field trainings – as the island is characterized by complex tectonic and magmatic-volcanic processes, which are also related to the collision of the Adriatic and Eurasian plates and the associated formation of the Alps and the Apennines. In addition to continental crust, oceanic crust can also be found on the surface of the Italian island. As mineralization and the associated former mining activities are also widespread on Elba, this excursion always offers an excellent opportunity to cover a broad spectrum of geology and to provide students with comprehensive field trainings for their further career.