Geology can only be explored on land? Far from it!
With the methods of scientific diving, it is possible to carry out a wide variety of investigations. Graduates of the SDC have pursued a wide variety of research topics in recent years. Questions have come from the fields of mineralogy, solid rock geology and sedimentology. However, engineering geology applications are also used.
The exploration of the seabed or lake bed offers numerous possibilities due to the surrounding water, some of which are difficult to understand on land. By taking disturbed or undisturbed samples, mapping and measurement results can be validated and substantiated in the laboratory or under the microscope after the dives.
We look back on exciting research stays in the Croatian Adriatic or at the underwater volcano of Panarea (Aeolian Islands, Italy):
- Stanulla, R. (2021): Geological and mineralogical investigation of hydrothermal fluid discharge features at the sea bottom of Panarea, Italy. Freiberg Online Geoscience (FOG), Vol 60, pp. 1-174. ISSN 1434-7512.
- Adamek, Judy (2021): Investigation of neotectonic and structural characteristics of the subaerial and submarine system of Panarea Island, Italy. FOG 2021, VOL 59.
- Kürzinger, Victoria (2019): Determination and Differentiation of the Hydrothermal Precipitates of Panarea, Italy. FOG 2019, Vol 54.
- Stanulla, R., Pohl, T., Müller, C., Engel, J., Hoyer, M., Merkel, B. (2017a): Structural and mineralogical study of active and inactive hydrothermal fluid discharges in Panarea, Italy. Environmental Earth Sciences, Vol. 76, pp. 404-430, 2017. DOI: 10.1007/s12665-017-6714-6.
Of course, the interaction of the rocks with the surrounding water is also of great interest. For this reason, hydrogeological issues are regularly investigated at the SDC.
- Meinardus, Folke (2016): Chemical investigations of groundwater and submarine hydrothermal fluid exhalations at Panarea, Italy. FOG 2016, VOL 48.
- B. Merkel, B. Planer-Friedrich, T. Pohl, M. Schipek (2011): Development of a Gas Sampling Technique for Determining Trace Elements in Submarine Volcanic Gas Exhalations Procedia Earth and Planetary Science, Volume 4, 50-56, DOI: 10.1016/j.proeps.2011.11.006
- M. Schipek, B. Merkel (2011): Continuous monitoring of dissolved CO2 and H2S: Technical application in the submarine hydrothermal system of Panarea, Italy, Procedia Earth and Planetary Science, Volume 4, 74-79, DOI: 10.1016/j.proeps.2011.11.008
- D. Steinbrückner (2009): Quantification of submarine degassing of Panarea Volcano in the Aeolian archipelago, Italy. FOG 2009, Vol 23.
All of this can be studied not only in good visibility, in warm seas. All of these investigations are also carried out in domestic waters as part of research projects, such as the ResuS project.