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 …

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 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.

In our laboratory, the stable isotopes of the light elements carbon (C), nitrogen (N), oxygen (O) and hydrogen (H) in continental geoarchives such as lake sediments and speleothems as well as in precipitation and surface water are measured.
Stable isotopes are non-radioactive nuclides of an element with the same number of protons and different numbers of neutrons and thus different atomic masses. This results in different physical properties that can lead to a shift in the isotope ratios in …

The laboratory for thin-section preparation is specialized in the preparation of thin sections of soft and unconsolidated lacustrine and marine sediments, soils, hygroscopic sediment samples such as salts and clays, and freeze cores, as well as of hard rock, minerals, ores, and grain samples.

Thick and thin sections, ultrathin sections, polished sections (single and double-sided), grain mounts (minerals embedded in epoxy), single crystal slides and reference samples of various formats can …

The laboratory for XRF (X-ray Fluorescence) Element Scanning focusses on non-destructive and continuous core analyses. These analyses allow detailed geochemical characterisation of complete sediment cores down to individual layers and grains. Bridging these scales is achieved by combining XRF core scanning, micro-XRF scanning of epoxy impregnated sediment blocks or thin sections, and Scanning Electron microscope (SEM) analyses.

The developments and research are focused on improving …

In the Organic Surface Geochemistry Lab (OSGLab) of the Geomorphology section, the smallest of molecules and isotopes open a door to the past. In the OSGLab we conduct research on regional differences of the causes and effects of past climate change and variations in biochemical cycles. In some projects, we can determine the "traces" of climate change down to a decade, in other projects biogeochemical processes are traced over millions of years.
In the laboratory, changes in the carbon …

The new state-of-the-art transmission electron microscope from Thermo Fisher Scientific Themis Z brings a lot of new opportunities for the characterization of crystal structure, microstructures and chemical composition of materials. Simultaneous imaging of heavy and light elements, and atomic resolution elemental imaging allow to investigate atomic structure with sub-Angstrom resolution.

The FEI Quanta 3D FEG is a state-of-the-art Dual Beam machine combining traditional thermal emission scanning electron microscope (SEM) with focused ion beam (FIB). This combination allows the characterization of materials in 2D and 3D (tomography), TEM sample preparation (TEM Lamella), observations at the subsurface of the specimens (cross section imaging) and structural modification of sample surfaces at the micrometer to nanometer scale.
The machine features three different vacuum modes …

FEI Helios G4 Dual Beam Helios G4 UC is part of the fourth generation of the leading Helios Dual Beam family. It combines the innovative Elstar electron column with high-current UC+ technology for extreme high-resolution imaging and the highest materials contrast with the superior Tomahawk ion column for the fastest, easiest, and most precise high-quality sample preparation. In addition to the most advanced electron and ion optics, the Helios G4 UC incorporates a suite of state-of-the-art …