With our microscope, we can optically analyze thin sections and suchlike, create overview images and prepare everything for laser ablation. Moreover, polarization filters, reflected or transmitted light and possible magnifications of 5 x, 10 x, 20 x, 50 x and 100 x can be used.

The laboratory for microscopy focuses on the specific requirements of microfacies analysis of lake sediments, but also offers a wide range of possibilities for other applications. Sedimentological, petrographic and microfacies analyses on all kinds of covered and uncovered thin sections and polished sections with transmitted and incident light are performed.

The microscopic analysis of microfossils or sedimentological specimens is part of the basic training in palaeontology. Microfossils are often not visible in the field with the naked eye or a magnifying glass. Nevertheless, in order to determine whether a rock contains microfossils, thin sections (slices of rock a few tenths to hundredths of a mm thick) are made from a rock sample, in which cross-sections of microfossils may be visible under the microscope. The microfossils can be obtained by …

The microscopy lab comprises facilities for infrared microthermometric equipment for fluid inclusion research and reflected-light microscopy for organic petrography.
The microthermometry lab focusses on microthermometric studies of fluid inclusions in minerals, analyses of molecular compositions of gas-bearing fluid inclusions and reconstruction of P-T-x condition during mineral precipitation. Techniques being used are microthermometry, transmitted light microscopy (visible and near infrared …

Petrography is a powerful tool to investigate rocks samples and loose preparates. By means of a microscope we characterize the morphology, texture and mineralogy of the components as well as to describe post-depositional features (diagenesis). This enables us to perform environmental, biostratigraphic and stable isotope analyses, as well as pore-system evolution studies. Additionally we use Digital Image Analysis to quantify sedimentary fabrics and pore space structures.

The preparation lab offers different preparation methods such as thin-section production, polishes, dye methods, hardening methods and others.

The "Automated Mineralogy Lab" is equipped with a field emission SEM and light microscope for thin section mapping. The Zeiss Sigma 300 VP Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscope is equipped with a Zeiss Gemini column, two Bruker Quantax Xflash 60 mm² SSD EDS detectors for quantitative element analysis, one variable pressure secondary electron detector (VPSE), one high definition backscatter detector (HDBSE), one Inlens detector, two Zeiss ATLAS correlative microscopy systems, two …

The laboratory for light microscopy provides light optical images with topography and element contrast. The Microscopy Lab is equipped with a number of optical microscopes with reflected and transmitted light illumination and stereo microscopes.