Courses
Undergraduate training
Summer
Prof. Dr. Hartwig Frimmel
Offer frequency: summer [ 3 hpw ]
Type of examination: written test
Contents:
- Origin/structure of the Earth
- Properties of important rock-forming and economically significant minerals
- Volcanism/extrusive rocks
- Plutonism/magmagenesis
- Sediments/sedimentary rocks
- Metamorphosis
- Geological structures
- Ocean floor
- Plate tectonics
- Earthquakes
- Mountain building
- Continental crust
- Earth history
- Mineral deposits
Dr. Volker von Seckendorff
Offer frequency: summer [ entire day, 4 saturdays before the exam]
The tutorial takes place in preparation for the exam to the lecture series "Endogenous Dynamics - Introduction to Geology". Participation in the tutorial is strongly recommended.
Hon.-Prof. Dr. Reimann
Offer frequency: End of summer [ 2 hpw ]
Exam type: Protocol/report
VL-Nr: 04101410 (Methodenkurs physische Geographie)
8 days: to be announced
Fee: ca. 80.- Euro per person
Registration only through WueStudy!
Target group and curriculum:
Exclusively BSc and MSc students with orientation in physical geography.
Elective option within the module "Physical Geographic Methods
Requirements:
successful participation in the course "Geological Maps and Structures" (Höhn),
if possible also the course "Mineral and Rock Identification" (Kleinschrot, Frimmel)
Dr. Stefan Höhn
Offer frequency: summer [ 2 hpw ]
Type of examination: portfolio
Contents:
- Basics of geological maps
- two-dimensional representation of three-dimensional geological phenomena
- Recognizing and interpreting tectonic structures
- Drawing of profiles and simple structural geological diagrams
Upon completion, participants will have the ability to interpret geological maps correctly and to present geological field observations in map form, profiles and appropriate diagrams.
Prof. Dr. Hartwig Frimmel, Dr. Dorothée Kleinschrot
Offer frequency: summer [ 2 hpw ]
Type of examination: written test with practical part
Contents:
- Systematic mineralogy, ore minerals
- Properties and characteristics of selected minerals
- Exercises on the basis of illustrative material
- Identification of minerals in handspecimen
- Classification of rocks (magmatic, metamorphic, sedimentary)
- Description of mineral contents and microstructure
- Identification of rocks in the handspecimen
Students gain the ability to identify the most important minerals in handspecimen and to correctly address and interpret rock samples as far as possible without additional analytical tools.
Dr. Dorothée Kleinschrot
Offer frequency: summer [ 2 hpw ]
Type of examination: written test with practical part
Contents:
- Setup, function and use of a transmitted light microscope
- Basics of crystal optics
- Optical properties of selected minerals
- Exercises at the microscope
- Identification of minerals under the microscope
Upon completion, the participants will have the necessary basic knowledge in the identification of the most important rock-forming minerals under the polarization microscope. The course provides essential basics for in-depth petrological and crystallingeological studies.
Prof. Dr. Hartwig Frimmel
Offer frequency: summer [ 2 hpw ]
Type of examination: oral presentation
Contents:
Exploitation and use of mineral resources (e.g. precious metals, rare earth elements, lithium, crude oil, uranium, diamond) are essential economic-geographical parameters that strongly influence economic, political and social relations between nations. The main topics of this course are fundamental economic-geological principles, a simple classification of deposit types according to genetic aspects and the evaluation of raw material deposits. An outlook on the availability and world market situation of essential mineral resources will be elaborated by the participants for selected current examples.
After completing the course, the participants will have basic knowledge in the economic geological analysis of selected mineral resources.
Dr. Stefan Höhn
Offer frequency: summer [ 2 hpw ]
Type of examination: written test
Contents:
The course deals with the different geochemical systems, mainly in the upper Earth crust, with geochemical processes leading to changes in rocks and re-distribution of elements or groups of elements, as well as with the underlying transport mechanisms. The focus is on aquatic processes, thus also on general hydrogeological aspects, such as water cycle, water storage and problems of water pollution.
Students gain basic knowledge of geochemical and hydrological processes, especially in the upper earth crust, which will serve as a basis for further studies in the field of environmental sciences and hydrogeology.
Prof. Dr. Thomas Will
Offer frequency: summer [ 2 hpw ]
Type of examination: written test
Contents:
The course provides an insight into the formation and modification of magmatic and metamorphic rocks that make up a significant part of the Earth's crust and surface today. Furthermore, the connection between rock formation (petrogenesis) and the planet Earth's constantly changing geo-dynamic processes is established. This also includes an introduction to modern methods for quantifying the information contained in rocks regarding pressure, temperature and time of rock formation. In addition to theoretical considerations, emphasis is placed on practical observations on visual materials (rock samples).
Winter
Dr. Stefan Höhn
Offer frequency: winter [ 2 hpw ]
Type of examination: written test
Contents:
Basics of modern methods to determine the mineralogical, elemental and isotopic composition of minerals and rocks, e.g. X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, electron microprobe analysis, mass spectrometry. As far as possible, practical exercises/demonstrations are carried out in the corresponding laboratories in addition to the explanation of the theoretical functions.
After graduation, the participants will have basic knowledge of the common analytical methods for determining the chemical, mineralogical and isotopic composition of minerals and rocks.
Dr. Stefan Höhn
Offer frequency: winter [ 2 hpw ]
Type of examination:
Contents:
Prof. Dr. Hartwig Frimmel
Offer frequency: winter [ 2 hpw ]
Type of examination: written test
Contents:
An overview of the evolution of the Earth over the past 4.6 billion years, the genesis, composition and change of the sediments formed in the process, and their information egarding the environmental conditions at that time, the development of life and the associated possibility of relative dating of stratigraphic sediments, the relationships between stratigraphy and plate tectonic development, and an introduction to absolute radiometric age dating (e.g. C14, uranium-lead, Ar-Ar, Rb-Sr).
Upon completion, the participants will have the necessary basic knowledge of geological history, stratigraphic methods and age dating of rocks.
Prof. Dr. Thomas Will
Offer frequency: irregular [ 2 hpw ]
Conditions for participation: Succsessfull completion of the courses "Thin Section Microscopy" and "Petrology".
Type of examination: protocol
Contents:
- Exercises at the microscope
- Metamorphic minerals in thin section (e.g. kyanite, sillimanite, andalusite, serpentine, staurolite, glaucophane, omphazite, zoisite, coesite, cordierite)
- Description and interpretation of microstructures
- Special textures (e.g. symplectites), inclusion generations
- Reconstruction of formation coniditions, pressure, temperature and time
Building on the course "Thin Section Microscopy" (every summer semester), the handling of the polarization microscope is developed. The participants get to know other rock-forming and special minerals and their optical properties. In addition, the description and interpretation of rock structures will be practiced. The course is supplemented by case studies on metamorphic petrology.
Postgraduate training
Winter
Prof. Dr. Hartwig Frimmel
Offer frequency: winter [ 2 hpw ]
Type of examination: written test (either in english or german) - Lectures are held in english!
Contents:
The diversity of mineral deposits are presented in ther width and partly with illustrative material (ore samples). In particular, the processes that led to the economic enrichment of such raw materials are presented. This includes magmatic, hydrothermal and sedimentary processes from which ore deposits, energy sources, industrial minerals as well as stones and soils emerged.
The students acquire essential basic and state-of-the-art knowledge of the geology of mineral deposits based on current examples. They also acquire the ability to classify existing and mineral deposits genetically, and thus the basis for the evaluation of future exploitation and exploration strategies.
Prof. Dr. Hartwig Frimmel
Offer frequency: winter [ 2 hours per week ]
Type of examination: Written examination (optionally in English or German) - Lectures are held in English
Contents:
The course provides an overview of the multitude of mineral deposits – essential georesources for the sustainable utilization of planet Earth. In particular, processes that can lead to the economic concentration of mineral resources will be discussed using examples of major deposit types. This includes magmatic, hydrothermal and sedimentary processes that resulted in the formation of economically viable deposits of ore minerals, solid fuels and industrial minerals.
The students obtain basic, up-to-date insights into the geology of mineral deposits on the basis of concrete examples. Furthermore they obtain the ability to classify known and new mineral deposits/occurrences in a genetic way, thus laying the foundation for optimising future exploitation and exploration strategies.
Summer
PD Dr. Torsten Graupner (BGR), Dr. Harald Karg (Wintershall), Hon.-Prof. Dr. Matthias Reimann (Knauf Gips)
Offer frequency: summer [ 2 hpw held as 3 blocks, each 2 days long, from friday to saturday ]
Type of examination: written test
Contents:
The essential geological, geochemical and geophysical methods for finding new mineral deposits are presented in an integrated global context. The focus will be on practical application and applicability in the various stages of exploration. The course is supplemented by a free one-day field trip.
The students acquire basic knowledge of current, modern methods for the exploration and assessment of new mineral deposits. These range from an in-depth understanding of structural geological relationships to geochemical vectors and basic geophysical methods for better characterisation and and localisation of economically relevant mineral deposits.
Dr. Harald Karg (Wintershall) / Prof. Dr. Hartwig Frimmel
Offer frequency: summer [ 2 hours per week ]
Type of examination: Written examination
Contents:
An overview is given of the principal geoscientific methods that can be used in the exploration for and exploitation of mineral deposits with a focus on the practical application in the various stages of exploration projects. The students develop a basic understanding of modern methods in exploration for mineral deposits as well as for the criteria, which can be used to assess the economic viability of mineral occurrences.
Lecturer: NN
Course frequency: weekly - summer term only [ 2 SWS / 5 ECTS ]
Language: English or German
Type of examination:
a) essay or report on practical exercise (ca. 15 pages) or
b) oral examination (30 minutes)
Aim:
The course provides further practice of GIS and its application in the field of geology,
especially for exploration purposes. Students improve their skills in processing and analyzing data with GIS
from that specific field. Students will be given the opportunity to learn how to cope with new topics and
advance their ability to solve problems in a field that might not be familiar to them.
Content:
The students learn about how predictive modelling is used in search for new deposits of mineral resources.
To this effect, so-called mineral potential maps will be produced to model and visualize potential target
areas that might be favorable for the future discovery of new mineral deposits. In this way, the students
learn how knowledge or existing data of mineral deposits and geological processes can lead to the formulation
of a spatial model and result in maps that support decision-making in exploration. The majority of the work
will be carried out within ESRI ArcGIS.
Suggestion:
Although special knowledge in geology or mineralogy is not prescribed, the participation in the course
“Mineral Resources in Space and Time” (04-GEO-RE3) prior to this course is strongly recommended.
Prof. Dr. Hartwig Frimmel
Offer frequency: each semester
Type of examination: report
Contents:
The applied project combines aspects of problem analysis, work organisation, methodological approaches and evaluation and analysis procedures. In particular, it prepares students for independent work on, implementation of, and conclusion of scientific problems with different specializations. The combination of the main focuses, e.g. geomorphology, remote sensing, GIS, allows the students to form an individual focus. The data collected during the project internship can be used as a basis for the preparation of a comprehensive thesis (master thesis).
Students acquire in-depth knowledge in advanced application in selected subject areas of physical geography. The internship is designed as a project internship. The competences acquired in the project seminars of the Bachelor's programme to define work processes, to organise and plan them, to collect data, to process, analyse and present them are to be deepened. A project is to be worked on independently using various scientific methods. In this way, students acquire in-depth skills in project coordination, problem analysis and presentation of results.
