This lab is dedicated to mineral synthesis and other experiments using mostly inorganic chemistry or hydrothermal synthesis methods. The lab is equipped with standard chemical laboratory equipment such as analytical balance, centrifuge, fume hood, furnaces, hotplate stirrers, ovens, dry block heater, pH meters as well as reflux setups and sonicator bath. Hydrothermal synthesis is possible in closed Teflon lined cells heated either conductively or by microwave irradiation.

This lab is dedicated for the synthesis of redox-active iron mineral phases, as well as their interaction with redox-sensitive trace elements (e.g., As, Cr,) and anaerobic microbes, under oxygen-limited conditions. It is equipped with two anaerobic chamber workstations, setup for liquid degassing to remove O₂, sample autodiluter for trace element analysis and standard chemical laboratory equipment such as analytical balance, centrifuge, fume hood, hotplate stirrer, shaking incubator, oven and …

For complex geodynamic questions, a wide variety of analytical methods and procedures is employed in the analytics and preparation laboratory. Some of the analytic equipment is located in our group; others are operated in cooperation with GFZ sections, e.g. the Laboratory for Thin-section Preparation together with section 4.3. There is also close cooperation with other research institutes, universities, and industry. Interested scientists from outside the GFZ may also use our Preparation …

Knowing the elastic properties of geo-materials is crucial to determine the mineralogical composition of the Earth's interior. The Brillouin scattering lab at the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam GFZ enables us to determine the velocities of sound waves in minerals, glasses and fluids to pressures of the deep Earth. We use Brillouin scattering - the inelastic scattering of laser light by thermal atomic vibrations (phonons) in the samples under investigation. We measure the frequency shift of the …

The Bubble Lab is an experimental laboratory to study bubble processes in hydrothermal and volcanic terrain. Earthquake and volcano processes are commonly accompanied by migration of fluids and deformation of fluid systems and their interaction with the host rock, including fracturing, fluid-filled crack growth and diking. The coupling between fluids and rock works in both ways: On one side, changes in the state of fluid-rock systems are thought to encourage or discourage tectonic earthquakes, …

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 Cultivation Lab focusses on aerobic and anaerobic enrichment and isolation of bacteria and archaea (microbial cultivation) as well as morphological, physiological and phylogenetic characterization. It covers simulation experiments and investigates adaptation to extremes.

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 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 …