News from the University of Potsdam
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Across Mountains and Valleys – Prof. Peter van der Beek researches the driving forces behind mountain formation
Geoscientist Peter van der Beek is a specialist in thermochronology. With this method, he looks far back into the history of mountain ranges and... more
The Nursery of Mineral Resources – Geoscientists research ore genesis
They come in all kinds of colors and shapes – black, white, green, blue or shiny silver, as nondescript as rock or formed into impressive crystals.... more
Moving Rocks – How climate warming changes mountain regions
Since 2015, geologist Sara Savi has been researching the influence of climate on debris flows in the high mountains of Argentina. In her current... more
Calculated – Why a whole region is rotating in the middle of Africa
For the first time ever, the causes for the strange motion of a tectionic plate have been identified by using three dimensional computer models. The... more
The Ups and Downs of Mountains – Peter van der Beek, guest scientists at the University of Potsdam, obtains an ERC Advanced Grant
The internationally well-known geologist Prof. Peter van der Beek who is currently a guest professor and scientist at the Institute for Geosciences... more
The Mystery of the Rainforest – Geoscientists show that humans were already shaping the central African landscape 2,600 years ago
Fields, roads, and towns but also forests planted in neat rows, and dead-straight rivers: people shape nature to better suit their purposes. The fact... more
Underway in Kenia – February, 15: “Oloonong’ot – mountain of many ridges
Geoscientists on an Excursion in the East African Rift System February, 15th Today we want to study one of the largest caldera volcanoes of the Kenya Rift - Mount Longonot at an elevation of about 2560 m.... more
Quite Warm, Quite Cold – Geomicrobiologist Dirk Wagner researches the smallest lifeforms in extreme environments
The Arctic, deserts, and volcanos: Life exists in very unexpected places – and on a surprising scale. Geomicrobiologist Prof. Dr. Dirk Wagner tracks... more
In Her Element – Why thallium and other trace elements are becoming a problem for the environment and what can be done about it
They are everywhere: in the soil, in the water, and sometimes even in the air, albeit often in such small quantities that they are hardly traceable.... more