Welcome to Helmholtz Centre PotsdamGFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences

The GFZ is the national research centre 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.

News:

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Dr. Jens Wickert to lead international expert group on a new climate experiment aboard the International Space Station
On 11 June 2013, the GFZ scientist Dr. Jens Wickert (Section 1.1, GPS / Galileo Earth Observation) was elected at the European Space Agency in Noordwijk, near Amsterdam, to head an international group of scientists that will control the first steps of a new experiment for climate research aboard the International Space Station. The responsible position of the so-called Science Advisory Group (SAG) is carried out in close cooperation with ESA and is to ensure that the scientific goals of the new mission GEROS-ISS will actually be achieved.
GFZ participation in the development of the new research centre Skolkovo near Moscow
The GFZ is involved in the establishment of a centre for space geodesy, navigation and robotics research at Skolkovo, one of Russia's largest development projects. The aim is to build various subcentres for research, education and innovation for today's key technologies. A major new innovation city that will consist of a university and a technology park is to be built not far from Moscow.
Humboldt Research Fellowship for Waliur Rahaman

Dr. Helmut Schwarz (President of Humbodt Foundation), Joachim Gauck (Federal President) and Alexander-von-Humboldt-Fellow Waliur Rahaman (GFZ, Section 3.4 - Earth Surface Chemistry) [f.l.t.r.] at the Annual Meeting of the Alexander-von-Humboldt-Stiftung at Schloss Bellevue in Berlin.

 

Opening of the IUGG Office at the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam
On 07 June 2013, the inauguration of the IUGG Secretariat at the German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam. The International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) has been dedicated for nearly a hundred years to the promotion, coordination and communication of research of the Earth and near-Earth space.

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Expanding the cooperation with India

On 9 May, Dr. Shaylesh Nayak, State Secretary of the Indian Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) in Delhi, and his delegation visited the GFZ and the KTB deep laboratory of the GFZ in Windischeschenbach. The visit served the preparation of several cooperation projects between the MoES, the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) and the GFZ. ...more

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