Please note

This website of the Institute of Geosciences is currently under construction.
We ask for your understanding and look forward to presenting you with an updated and complete website as soon as possible.

The Institute of Geosciences - Our institute

This page introduces the Institute of Geosciences as an institution of the Rheinische Friedrich Wilhelms-Universität Bonn and its staff and institutions.

A detailed overview of studies and research as well as the individual sections, working and research groups can be found on the corresponding subpages.

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© Zeitverlag
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© pexels CCO
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© Barbara Frommann
Poppelsdorfer Schloss
© Johanna Kasischke
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© pexels CCO

Geosciences?

The Institute of Geosciences combines disciplines that deal with the research and teaching of the Earth system in the past and present as well as related processes. In the field of earth sciences, the Institute covers the research areas of geology, geochemistry/petrology, geophysics and meteorology/climate.

The research area of geology is divided into the main areas of hydrogeology, sedimentology and environmental geology. Geochemistry/petrology comprises the key areas of structural geology, geochemistry, petrology, mineralogy and crystallography. Applied geophysics and geodynamics are represented in the research area of geophysics. The field of meteorology/climate research focuses on theoretical meteorology, remote sensing and climate dynamics above the earth's crust.

Within the Institute of Geosciences at the University of Bonn, these specialisations are divided between the working groups of the same name and are accordingly represented in current research and teaching in the Institute's two teaching units.

Executive Board

The Institute of Geosciences is represented by the Executive Board.
The following page introduces the Executive Board and the people who work on it:

Secretariats

The offices and secretariats are presented on the following page. They are the contact persons for the sections and working groups.

Employees

The following page lists the employees of the Institute and its sections and working groups and their contact details.

Directions & building

The Institute of Geosciences is located in various buildings in Bonn. On this page you will find an overview of the locations.

Libraries

In addition to the university's central libraries, the sections and working groups have their own decentralized libraries. You can find an overview here:

Museums

Two museums with rich collections belong to the institute and can be visited:
The Goldfuß Museum and the Mineralogical Museum introduce themselves!

Equipment

The institute is equipped for requirements in the areas of preparation, workshops, laboratories, IT and other scientific services. On this page you will find an overview.

Co-operations

The Institute of Geosciences and its sections are partners in research and teaching cooperations. Current and past collaborations are listed on this page.

Study

With 2 Bachelor's and 4 Master's degree programs in 2 teaching units, the Institute of Geosciences offers a broad spectrum of theoretical and practical disciplines for orientation in university research and teaching.

Are you interested in studying geosciences or do you need information about a degree program? Then the following pages are the right place for you:

Institute news
News from the Institute of Geosciences
OERcamp 2025 Hannover
At the beginning of October, some of our team took part in OERcamp 2025 in Hannover. The aim of the camp is to facilitate exchange between participants. We gained many new insights through exciting workshops and lectures. Ellen Arimond gave a workshop on OEP on our behalf, and we also began the first test phase of our best practice example there.
Osmium in the Mantle: Prof. Ambre Luguet’s Latest Contribution in Elements
"Elements" explores every 2 months a theme of broad and current geochemical interest and is dedicated to a "non-expert scientist and non-scientist" audience.
Award-winning: The “Children in the Climate Crisis” project is a model of sustainability
On August 28, 2025, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the German UNESCO Commission presented the “National Award – Education for Sustainable Development.”
Research campaign at a tropical peat swamp forest in Indonesia
In early April 2025, Yohanes Ginting, a PhD student in the Climate Monitoring Group, conducted a fieldwork campaign in a tropical peat swamp forest in Indonesia. 
Dr. Anna Zoporowski is awarded the Teaching Award of the University of Bonn!
The University of Bonn has honored Dr. Anna Zoporowski from the Meteorology and Geophysics teaching unit at the Institute of Geosciences in the Earth Sciences department and 13 other lecturers for their outstanding commitment with the Teaching Awards 2025. The prize recipients were chosen by students themselves. Professor Klaus Sandmann, Vice Rector for Teaching, Learning and University Development presented the prize certificates at a ceremony on the Hofgarten lawn in Bonn as part of the Universitätsfest attended by over 7,000 people. Dr. Anna Zoporowski is a lecturer in the Meteorology and Geophysics teaching unit at the Institute of Geosciences in the Earth Sciences department and teaches modules such as “General Geophysics”, “Mathematical Methods in Geophysics”, “Introduction to Geophysics”, “Tectonophysics” and numerous additional courses with great commitment to students on the B. Sc. Meteorology and Geophysics, M.Sc. Physics of the Earth and Atmosphere, B.Sc. Geosciences and M.Sc. Geology.  In her role as course manager and student advisor for the Meteorology and Geophysics teaching unit, she also provides outstanding support and guidance to students with competence, passion and commitment. Dr. Anna Zoporowski also coordinates international student exchanges in the teaching unit.
OER
OER stands for Open Educational Resources. In short, this means learning materials that are available to everyone free of charge.There are learning materials in all conceivable subject areas and levels that are provided with open licenses: the so-called Creative Commons or CC licenses. This means that the materials can be used, shared, edited, mixed, stored and reproduced.
Joost Hase awarded the ABC/J Research Prize 2025 for Early Career Scientists
Joost Hase from the Geophysics Section at the Institute of Geosciences at University of Bonn has been awarded the second place in the ABC/J Research Award 2025 for Early Career Scientists. His work is entitled “Model inference and uncertainty quantification in complex resistivity imaging”. In his research, he is developing new methods for model-based inversion and uncertainty quantification in complex resistivity imaging (CRI) - a method for imaging electrical properties of the subsurface using induced polarization (IP).
European Geoscience Union in Vienna
The EGU (European Geoscience Union) took place in Vienna at the beginning of May: an international conference by and for 20,000 geoscientists, most of whom took part on site, but also online. Among others, a few people from our institute went there and informed themselves and networked in the most diverse sub-areas of meteorology.
Eine Wissenschaftlerin und ein Wissenschaftler arbeiten hinter einer Glasfassade und mischen Chemikalien mit Großgeräten.
© Johanna Kasischke

Our institute - a chronological overview

The Institute of Geosciences was founded in the 2018/2019 winter semester as a merger of the Steinmann Institute of Geology, Mineralogy and Palaeontology and the Institute of Meteorology at the University of Bonn.

From 1883

First foundation of the geoscientific institutes (some with changing names):
Institute and Museum of Mineralogy (1883 - 2008)
Institute and Museum of Geology and Palaeontology (1883 - 1963)
Institute and Museum of Geology (1963 - 2008)
Institute of Palaeontology (1963 - 2008)

2008

Foundation of the Steinmann Institute for Geology, Mineralogy and Palaeontology from the aforementioned individual institutes

2018

Merge of the Steinmann Institute of Geology, Mineralogy and Palaeontology and the Meteorological Institute to form the Institute of Geosciences

You can find a more detailed chronicle of the institute and its sections under the following link:

Alumni of the institute

Former members of the Institute of Geosciences are listed on the page linked here. This group of people includes professors and employees whose former activities and current commitment to research and teaching, often in continued projects and activities, are highlighted.


Contact & opening hours

Avatar Behrens

Katja Behrens

Institute Management

0.015

Meckenheimer Allee 176

53115 Bonn

Opening hours

The opening hours of the Institute of Geosciences depend on the working hours of the people based in the individual buildings of the Institute.

Please make appointments according to the office hours of the individual persons and by prior arrangement.

You can find an overview of the buildings here:

The opening hours of the museums can be found on the museum pages:

1883

Year in which the first geoscientific institute was founded

4

Sections

6

Study programms

Arriving by car

Beispieltext: 

Parken Sie am besten in einem der Parkhäuser in der Innenstadt und gehen von dort aus Richtung Poppelsdorfer Allee bzw. für die Psychologische Beratung zur Quantiusstraße.

Für gehandicapte Menschen und Eltern mit kleinen Kindern bestehen nach vorheriger Rücksprache kostenlose Parkmöglichkeiten direkt hinter unserem Haus in der Poppelsdorfer Allee 49.

Arriving by bus and train

Beispieltext:

Fahren Sie bis zum Bonner Hauptbahnhof bzw. zur Haltestelle "Poppelsdorfer Allee".

Wenn Sie zur Studienberatung möchten, laufen Sie einfach Richtung Poppelsdorfer Allee.

Zur Psychologischen Beratung nehmen Sie am Hauptbahnhof den Ausgang "Quantiusstraße".

Geschäftszimmer

Kurzbeschreibung, z.B: Als familienfreundliche Hochschule bieten wir Angebote zur erfolgreichen Vereinbarung von Beruf, Studium und Familie. 

Kontakt

+49 228 / 73-52 76

beispielmail@uni-bonn.de

Adresse

2. Etage, Räume 2.017 / 2.018
Quantiusstraße 1
53115 Bonn

Psychologische Beratung

Als familienfreundliche Hochschule bieten wir Angebote zur erfolgreichen Vereinbarung von Beruf, Studium und Familie. 

Kontakt

+49 228 / 73-52 76

beispielmail@uni-bonn.de

Adresse

2. Etage, Räume 2.017 / 2.018
Quantiusstraße 1
53115 Bonn

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