Research Initiative on Geo-Process
 

The research initiative on Geo-process was established by the governing body of the Leibniz Universität Hannover on March 14th, 2007.

Description of the research project

The research project will, in general, clarify how chemical, physical and biological processes currently affect the Earth’s surface and how they have formed it in the past. Investigations into this are being carried out in the following research fields:

1. The weathering zone as the critical boundary layer between the geosphere and the atmosphere
2. The measurable change in the land surface through denudation
3. The sedimentation area as the product of geo-morphological activity
4. The measurable distortion of the earth’s surface by endogenous forces

In addition to the research work the initiative has made it its task to further the development of its scientific programme in research and teaching as well as to deepen the exchange of information between the Leibniz University, institutions outside the University and private business, and thus is a centre of competence in Germany.

In order to overcome the gap between the specific subjects in the scales of space and time under observation, and also to investigate the interactions between the named research subjects with national and global processes it is necessary to have a highly interdisciplinary understanding of the process. The interdisciplinarity in the geo-process research initiative is thus developed by the participating scientists whose focal point deals with the inanimate or animate zone of the Earth's surface.

The numerous new methods in existence in Hannover and the added value arising from the interdisciplinary cooperation produce new applications in geo-process research. It is precisely through the highly practice-orientated work of the institutions outside the University that the research of the University institutes, which is orientated more towards basic research, can be given a relevance to practice that is unique in Germany. These perspectives are also to be passed on to private businesses in Lower Saxony which deal with geoscience.

Participating Institutions

Faculty of Natural Sciences

• Institute of Geobotany
• Institute of Geology
• Institute of Microbiology
• Institute of Mineralogy
• Institute of Physical Geography and Landscape Ecology
• Institute of Soil Science

Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geodetic Science

• Geodetic Institute
• Institute of Cartography and Geo-informatics
• Institute of Geodesy
• Institute of Photogrammetry and Geo Information (IPI)

Contact

Institute of Mineralogy
Callinstraße 1

D - 30167 Hannover

Tel. +49 511.762 - 2933

E-mail f.holtz@mineralogie.uni-hannover.de