In the Gas Chromatography Lab whole oil analyzes are performed with special attention to saturated hydrocarbons, highly volatile organic compounds, and lipid fractions (e.g. fatty acids, alcohols, sterols).

For quantification of organic (e.g. acetate, formate) and inorganic anions (e.g. chloride, sulfate) in aqueous samples ion exchange chromatography is used.
The quantification of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in aqueous samples and chromatographic separation of the DOC into different fractions and quantification of these fractions in aqueous samples is done via liquid chromatography – organic carbon detection (LC-OCD).

Brillouin-Interferometry
Knowledge of the elastic properties of geomaterials at high P-T conditions plays a central role in determining the composition of the Earth's interior. The Brillouin interferometer at the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences enables us to determine the sound wave velocities in minerals, glasses and liquids. For this purpose, we use so-called Brillouin scattering, i.e. the inelastic scattering of laser light by thermally activated lattice vibrations (phonons) in …

Within the research group CLEAR we endeavor to understand large scale geological processes that operate deep inside planets. Our approach is to recreate high pressure-temperature conditions in the laboratory and examine various physical properties of minerals and rocks (in situ) using state-of-the-art spectroscopic techniques. Specifically, we use statically- and dynamically-heated diamond anvil cells together with a pulsed time-resolved broadband optical probe and a precisely-synchronized …

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is a method of thermal analysis for determining the amount of heat released or consumed by a sample at a defined temperature change. For this purpose, a container with sample material and an empty reference container are simultaneously exposed to the same temperature regime. During the investigated process (phase changes and/or chemical reactions), energy is consumed or released by the sample. These exothermic or endothermic processes are mirrored by …

The EleMap Lab is devoted to in situ analyses of minor and trace elements in minerals and other geological materials. We have a Teledyne Analyte Excite 193 nm excimer laser coupled to a Thermo Scientific iCAP RQ quadrupole ICP-MS and a Thermo Scientific iCAP TQ quadrupole ICP-MS, which can filter masses through the use of a reaction cell (MS/MS). The Laser system delivers a fully homogenized laser beam which ensures uniform ablation across the entire range of spot sizes with ns pulse length (< …

The ElMiE Lab is a research-oriented facility and part of the Helmholtz center in Potsdam. The ElMiE – Lab offers the sample preparation and analyses of geological or environmental inorganic samples for element concentrations and mineralogy of inorganic materials. Laboratories and instruments associated with the ElMiE Lab include the XRD, XRF, …

In our lab we use a FTIR-spectrometer Vertex 80v manufactured by Bruker. It is equipped with various light sources, beam splitters and detectors to operate from 25.000 cm⁻¹ to 80 cm⁻¹. The maximum resolution is 0.25 cm⁻¹. An attached IR-microscope (Bruker Hyperion 2000) provides the possibility to perform unpolarized and polarized measurements on single crystals in the energy range of 25.000 cm⁻¹ to 420 cm⁻¹ with a spatial resolution of 20 µm.
Additional equipment: Heating/cooling stage …

The Ultrapyc gas pycnometer (Anton Paar Ultrapyc 5000 Micro) can be used to measure the density of solid and semi-solid substances to determine the purity or porosity of samples. Samples with a volume of only 0.25 cm³ (but also larger samples of 1-3 cm³) can be measured with a maximum deviation from the accuracy of ~1%. The device is equipped with a balance and can be used on request.

Microorganisms interact with their environment as they produce and and consume dissolved compounds that will therefore become depleted or enriched in their surrounding, mainly in the pore water. Analysis of dissolved compounds is therefore a prerequisite for understanding microbial activity in geologic settings. Another major focus of our work in on direct detection of microbial turnover via the use of radioisotopes as those offer unsurpassed sensitivity. As microbial abundance and activity …