Research Centre - Geodynamics and Geomaterials

From crystals to continents

Situated in the Eastern Alps, the Research Centre for Geodynamics and Geomaterials is uniquely positioned to directly experience, observe, and investigate the effect of geodynamic processes on geomaterials.

Our mission is to unravel the multiscale interplay between chemical and mechanical processes operating at Earth’s surface and within the solid Earth, from individual crystals to the evolution of the lithosphere.

Bringing together the complementary expertise of the Institute of Mineralogy and Petrography and the Department of Geology, we investigate how fluid–rock interaction, deformation, reactive transport, phase transitions, diffusion, erosion and sedimentation interact to alter the chemical and physical properties of rocks.

Operating across vast ranges of temperature, pressure, time, and space, these coupled processes link metamorphic, igneous, and sedimentary petrology with crystallography, structural geology, and tectonics.

By integrating field observations from active Alpine geodynamic settings with advanced laboratory experiments and high-resolution analytical techniques, we aim to bridge (sub-)microscopic mechanisms and large-scale geodynamic phenomena shaping the Earth.

Contact

FZ-GDGS@uibk.ac.at

Speaker: Anna Rogowitz

Co-Speaker: Clifford Patten