The Bubble Lab is an experimental laboratory to study (a) fluids in hydrothermal terrain, and (b) volcano-tectonic processes. We simulate fluids and solids in two separate but closely related laboratories. First, we have an experimental laboratory for studying gas bubbles in hydrothermal and volcanic systems and an earthquake simulator. Second, we study the deformation and fracturing of scaled analog volcanoes and their intrusions. The goal of the Bubble & Volcano Lab is to study the …

The Cryo-Microbiology Labs are a lab complex focused on the biological aspects related to microbe-mineral interface reactions in cryogenic and non-cryogenic environments. The research addresses a series of culture-dependent and -independent techniques as well as the characterization of the dynamics of dissolved and particulate carbon in various environmental samples. The laboratory complex Cryo-Microbiology Labs consists of several sub-modules. For more details, please see the individual …

The development of geophysical exploration systems with high resolution for underground applications and mobile operation on the surface implicate many interesting problems to be solved with electronics. That is, design and programming of radio-controlled data acquisition systems as well as control systems for seismic impulse and vibrator sources. Another challenging task is the planning, installation and initial operation of electrode arrays in boreholes. For testing and optimization of the …

The Environmental Mineralogy and Biogeochemistry Labs are an integrated laboratory suite designed for studying the formation of nature-inspired and synthetic mineral phases, and their interactions with nutrients and contaminants. This facility is therefore well-equipped for the synthesis of various minerals (e.g., silicates, (oxyhydr)oxides, sulfides, sulfates, carbonates, phosphates) and their characterization using a wide-range spectroscopic and scattering techniques. The Environmental …

For rock deformation experiments we handle different apparatuses, allowing to perform brittle (low temperature) tests on large rock samples (MTS servo-hydraulic press) and high temperature (ductile) experiments on small samples (Paterson-type gas deformation apparatus at high confining pressure, uniaxial creep rig at atmospheric pressure). The following facilities are operated: servohydraulic MTS press, gas deformation apparatus and high temperature creep apparatus.

The research done in section 3.1 demands precise and accurate analyses of element concentrations and isotope ratios in a wide range of materials (minerals, rocks, fluids and gas) and on samples as tiny as 1 micron in diameter and with just picograms (10-12 pg) in mass. This work involves a large number of instruments and dedicated laboratories.
The GFZ encourages external collaborations and the laboratories in section 3.1 are heavily used by research students and guest scientists. The …

In the HELGES Laboratory, sample preparation and measurements of cosmogenic nuclides (¹⁰Be, ²⁶Al) and stable isotopes of metals and metalloids (currently Li, Mg, Si, Fe, Sr, B) in geological and environmental sample materials, such as sediments, rocks, river water, soils, vegetation are performed.
Two clean labs class 1000+ with class 10 laminar flow workstations are available for sample preparation of low concentration samples. In addition, dry and wet chemistry labs provide the necessary …

Experimental tectonics is the branch of geosciences that uses so-called "analogue models" scaled down from nature to the laboratory to study tectonic processes in situ. Thanks to new materials, testing methods and monitoring techniques, which have been developed in the past two decades, anologue modelling nowadays provides quantitative tectonic oberservations across all relevant spatial and temporal scales. Please find an introductory texts to our lab and methods …

The hydrothermal laboratory is equipped with horizontal and vertical cold-seal pressure vessels for the synthesis of crystals or glasses or to study interactions between minerals/rocks, melts, and fluids at hydrostatic conditions. The hydrothermal lab comprises three lines: 200 MPa line, 500 MPa line and rapid quench line.

In principle, an internally heated pressure vessel (IHPV) consists of a thick-walled pressure vessel sealed by closure plugs at the ends. In addition, there is a pressure inlet/outlet as well as several electrical leads into the vessel for power supply to and temperature control of the internal furnace. The equipment is particularly designed for experimental studies at medium to high temperatures (currently up to 1250 °C) and pressures up to 10 kbar. This P-T range is inaccessible by …