Research groups

Applied geology deals with environmental and engineering geological topics. These range from geology, water and chemistry to stable isotopes, bringing them together in an exciting field of research.

Groundwater and surface water – Water quality and quantity – Stable isotopes – Environmental modeling

The applied mineralogy focuses on investigating the relationship between crystal structure and the individual properties of various materials, with the aim of optimizing the use and performance of mineral-based substances.

Materials research – CO₂-neutral cements – Biomaterials – Phase analysis – Modeling

Endogenous Geodynamics investigates magmatic and hydrothermal processes involved in the development of the Earth’s crust using geochemical methods (e.g., volcanism at plate boundaries and the formation of metallic ore deposits).

Geochemistry – Volcanoes – Ore deposit formation – Material cycles – Earth system

The Geochemistry and Deposits working group investigates how elements in the Earth’s crust are displaced during the formation of ore deposits and what quantities of harmful or climate-relevant substances reach the surface.

Deposit formation – modeling – climate change – material cycles – element and isotope analysis

Carbonate rocks are unique archives of our planet’s climate and environmental history, as they are formed by living organisms. Research in this field has a long history and focus in Erlangen.

Carbonate rock – climate change – fossils – evolution – paleoenvironment

Our research aims to unravel the complexity of geosystems using advanced numerical models and to provide insights and solutions for sustainable environmental management.

Groundwater modeling – Hydrological modeling – Uncertainty analysis

The working group researches the evolution and diversity of ecosystems over long time scales, as well as the effects of climate change on species and ecosystems globally and regionally.

Ecosystems – Species extinction – Databases – Fossils – Climate change – Biodiversity

Petrology deals with the formation and transformation of rocks, e.g., during mountain formation. To this end, the composition of the mineral components and the pressure-temperature conditions are examined.

Rock formation – Pressure-temperature conditions – Rock/mineral chemistry – Hydrogen – Earth’s mantle

The thematic focus of our working group’s research and teaching includes topics in applied sedimentology, geothermal energy, and isotope geochemistry.

Sediment Generation – Reservoir Rocks – Geothermal – Paleo-Environmental Reconstruction – Isotope Geochemistry

Systematic paleobiology deals with the responses of organisms and ecosystems to past environmental changes based on information from evolutionary trees and fossil records.

Phylogenetics – Fossils – Modeling –
(Co)evolution – (Paleo)environmental influences

In Structural Geology and Tectonics, research focuses, among other topics, on the deformation of rocks and tectonic plates, the formation of mountain ranges, and the interactions between the Earth, its environment, and human activities.

Plate tectonics – Earthquakes & Volcanoes – Mountain Building – Simulation – Mineral deposits