Teaching: Highly varied programme of minor subjects: meteorology, computer science, botany, zoology or geography/mineralogy, physics, physical chemistry, geology or mathematics.
Equipment: Cooperation with other institutes: hyperoxaluria with Cologne University Clinic; analysis of isotope composition for ivory with the Federal Office for Conservation, WWF; use of analytical facilities at the Geocycles Research Centre; X-ray tomography, solid-state spectroscopy.
Research: Continental geodynamics, comprising aspects of metamorphic geology, tectonic physics, petrology, vulcanology, isotope geology and geomaterials research
Terrestrial palaeoclimate, with contributions from groups on climate and sediments, palaeontology, speleothem research, isotope geology and biomineralisation. Additional groupings: chemistry, physics for Earth surface layers
Other special features: The geosciences focus their research on current Earth issues: environmental issues, water pollution control, stability of structures, climate research, earthquake risk estimation, fluctuations in sea levels. In addition to applied research topics, active basic research is pursued on the Earth as a system. Keywords: mountain formation, the Earth's structure, rock chemistry, fossils, gemstones.