Welcome to Helmholtz Centre PotsdamGFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences

The GFZ is the national research center for Earth Sciences in Germany. We investigate “System Earth“ at locations all over the world with all the geological, physical, chemical and biological processes which occur at its surface and in its interior.

The goal of our interdisciplinary research is to understand these processes on all scales of time and space, whether they occur at the level of atoms and molecules or galaxies, and independently of whether they take place faster than the blink of an eye in nanoseconds or if they happen infinitely slowly over billions of years. We not only investigate the processes within the planet itself, but also study the multitude of interactions between solid earth, the atmosphere, the hydrosphere and the inhabited world. We also analyse how man, living at the Earth's surface, affects our planet. In sum, our research deals with the entire "Earth System" including the influence of mankind.

25.01.2010 | Exercise in the case of emergency

GITEWS-experts train staff of Tsunami Warning Centres

This year the workshop for Tsunami Early Warning is not only for staff from Indonesia, but also for staff from further countries of the Indian Ocean. The three week work shop 2010 started today in Citeko, south of Jakarta in Western Java. The Training will provide theoretical fundamentals and practical training for those concerned with tsunami early warning. ...more

17.01.2010 | The seismic gap south of Istanbul

How prone is Istanbul to Earthquake risk?

The chain of earthquakes along the North Anatolian fault shows a gap south of Istanbul. The expected earthquakes in this region represent an extreme danger for the Turkish megacity. A new computer study now shows that the tensions in this part of the fault zone could trigger several earthquakes instead of one individual large quake event. ...more