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The Institute of Geosciences


The geosciences study the forces and processes that have driven the transformation of our planet for several billion years, creating ocean basins and mountains and destroying them again. This includes analyzing the formation of natural resources and their exploration with state-of-the-art recording techniques, assessing natural hazards and geohazards, the evolution of organisms and their relationship to the solid Earth, and increasingly, the impact of humans and global change on the Earth's surface, our habitat.

Our German-language Bachelor's program in Geosciences and English-language Master's programs in Geosciences and Remote Sensing, Geoinformation and Visualization, respectively, as well as the international doctoral program have the task of enabling students to apply a broad inventory of methods. This includes the development of a technical system and the ability to recognize interdisciplinary relationships and to transfer observations from the field into models. In doing so, we offer a variety of specialization options according to the methodological and content-related foci of the different research groups, various programs for the internationalization of studies, and first-class graduate training.

The institute plays a central role in the research focus Earth and Environmental Systems and is an active partner of the coordination platform Geo.X, which organizes the close network of earth and environmental science research institutions in the Berlin-Potsdam area. The institute currently also provides the president of the Geounion (Prof. M. R. Strecker).


Lagebesprechung unter Anwendung von Augmented Reality

This year´s transfer prize is awarded to structural geologist Gerold Zeilinger

At the Institute of Geosciences, he led the oKat-SIM project, among others, in which augmented reality (AR) was used to...read more

Map of the peninsula Reykjanes on Island

The 'Sound of the Volcano'

In their study, scientists working with Professor Eibl and colleagues from the GFZ German Research Centre are analysing seismic signals .....read more

Professor van der Beek in his office in front of shelve with geological samples

Peter van der Beek elected President of the European Geosciences Union

EGU: The most important European association for scientists in the fields of Earth, Planetary and Space science research with...read more...

View of the crater chain Sundhnúkurgígar on Iceland

Prof. Dr. Eva Eibl from the Institute of Geosciences

Geophysicist about volcanic eruptions on Iceland and what we can learn from them – listen to an interview with the ‘Profis’ on radioeins on Jan 20, 2024

Professor Wilke im Gespräch vor Gesteinsmustern und Bildschirm erläutert seine Forschung

Award for Mineralogy Professor

Professor Dr. Max Wilke newly elected Fellow of the Mineralogical Society of America and is thus honored for his scientific activities

Excavators are building a wall to protect the Avartsengi power plant and Grindavik from a possible lava flow

Earthquakes on the Reykjanes Peninsula

Prof. Eva Eibl conducts research in Iceland: The earth shakes, trenches open up in the ground, roads tear apart - and then a volcano erupts. Read more...

Deformed Miocene redbeds infront of the Sierra Macón, Pocitos Basin, Puna Plateau, NW Argentina.

Dynamic history of the Andean Plateau - research sheds new light on the region

Within the last nine to 13 million years, the Puna Plateau in the south-central Andes has risen by a remarkable 2,000 meters, according to studies of stabl

Geothermalfeld von Olkaria

KAWI KWA TAIFA – Energy for the nation –

Potsdam and Kenyan Geosciences Researchers Investigate Geothermal Areas in the East African Rift Valley

Apfel, Laborflasche, Stifte, Bücher - Kinderuni 2023

Geosciences at the Children´s University 2023: Geophysicist Eva Eibl presents:

"Lava, Ashes and Toxic gases - The Secrets of Volcanoes"

The Geologist Martin Trauth presents:

Climate Change and Human Evolution in Africa

Map of the earth shows vegetations desitiy

Ecosystems threatened

Taylor Smith, together with his co-author establish new method for reliable estimates of vegetation resilience...read more...

Isabel Wapenhans during her 2-minute poster presentation

Thermo 2023 at Riva del Garda: Two Potsdam PhD students convince jury during poster presentation

Isabel Wapenhans was awarded the 1st prize for her 2-minute presentation, Lingxiao Gong also won an award for her notable presentation. Congratulations!

Scherbaum putting on a special microphone at Givi Pirtskhelani. Also in the picture the singers Gigo Chamgeliani and Murad Pirtskhelani

Musical Scales beyond Major and Minor

Potsdam Seismology meets Musicology - and opens up new possibilities for computer-based recording and analysis of polyphonic singing...read more in the mag

River gravel of the Seti, Nepal. In the background the Annapurna Massif

New Study shows:

Himalayan valley-floor widths controlled by tectonically driven exhumation...read more

Airial view of the Great Barrier Reef

Climate Witnesses on Seabed - Dr. Manfred Mudelsee develops statistical methods and evaluates data

“Coral skeletons contain limestone that binds oxygen”, the environmental physicist Mudelsee explains. Within the frame of the SEARCH project he spends many

Thoralf Dietrich receives prize at Brandenburg Science Slam in Schwedt

Potsdam Geophysicist takes part: 2nd Brandenburg Science Slam in Schwedt

Doctoral student Thoralf Dietrich at the University of Potsdam had the hall buzzing with his gripping performance about volcanoes and glaciers...read more.