Field trips

We offer field seminars, that means after documentation and interpretation of geological phenomena and relationships in small groups in the field you work out the open questions in long evening meetings. We generally stay the night in our tents. A basic physical fitness is required. An overview of general items and safety is given on our Website General and Safety.

Following the field work of the famous Scottish geologist Edward Battersby Bailey (1881-1965), professor in Glasgow, then head of the British Geological Survey BGS, one should: In any weather and season carry a short trousers, a shabby jacket with compass and pencil tied to the buttons, abstain from wearing socks since they get wet anyway, punch some holes in your low shoes that the water can get out, stand first in a stream in the morning that one does not get annoyed if feet get wet during the day. He ate his lunch in the first half our when out "Let's eat it now and get it over with" not to carry it during the day and waste time while having lunch. Sir Bailey continued mapping many years after his retirement. Pictures of his field clothing are here when younger and here when older. Today we prepare for field work slighty differently, however, the attraction to read the natural- and landscape history in the field still remains.

Foto: E.B. Bailey in the field, always short trousers, no socks, loafers with punches holes (Source: British Geological Survey BGS Earthwise, left in Scotland P225785, right in Russia P008691).

Applications

If a well is drilled nearby, wether horizontally or vertically, we are off and away on short notice too. Here you see us at the successful well Steig-1 near Weingarten, some 5 km from our department.

group Steig-1 1906

Iceland

We run a 10-day field trip to Iceland, focusing on geothermal energy, volcanism and recent depositional systems along the midoceanic ridge. Our movie on our geology student Iceland trip can be viewed on Youtube ResGeosciences and on KIT's journal clicKIT!

Regional Geology - Eifel, Kraichgau, Black Forest

In our one-week field seminar on regional geology (BSc 4. Sem.) we develop geological cross sections during two field trips across the Lower Rhine Embayment and the Stavelot-Venn Massif (Trip A), and from the Upper Rhine Graben into the Krachgau and Black Forest area (Trip B). We apply sedimentology, structural geology and petrology in the field to deduce formation conditions and paleogeography. More info on the website Regional Geology

Pyrenees

The one-week Master field seminar focuses on the southern part of the Pyrenees and the Ebro basin. A general understanding of the structural setup of the alpine foreland fold-and-thrust belt and the lithology will be worked out during eventing sessions. Further information is given here Pyrenees, Spain

Upper Rhine Graben

We offer a field trip to quarries in the Upper Rhine Graben area, concentrating on Buntsandstein siliclastics and fractured Muschelkalk carbonates, as well as source and cap rocks. Content covers depositional systems and structural geology. More info on the website Upper Rhine graben

Saar-Nahe Basin

Our 1.5-week Bachelor mapping course introduces our students to the fundamentals of geological mapping. I small groups areas are mapped in the Saar-Nahe Basin. This covers the identification of sedimentary, magmatic and low metamorphic rocks, the localization and documentation in the field, the interpretation of depositional- and tectonic processes and the source areas. In the evening we work out the data generated during the day. Further information is given here.

Scottish Highlands

Our one-week Bachelor field seminar focuses on metamorphic, magmatic and sedimentary rocks in the field. Content covers regional- and contact metamorphism, caldera development, polyphase deformation, sedimentation and rifting. You will be introduced to the fundamental processes at world-known exposures and work in small groups. During evening we will work out the data and develop geological models. Further information is given here Scottish Highlands, UK

Sicily

We enjoy Sicily in autumn to visit the lighhouse of the Mediterranean Sea, Stromboli volcano, and the other Eolian Islands Vulcano and Lipari. We stay on Lipari, climb Vulcano and Stromboli, and visit Etna volcano on the way back to Catania airport. Our student's movie on the Sicily trip is on YouTube ResGeosciences as well as on WDR TV climbing volcanoes. More info on the website Sicily

SW-England

Our one-week Master field seminar focuses on reservoir properties of sedimentary rocks, exposed on the cliffs of the Channel and the Bristol Channel. Applied aspects of energy resources and storage are worked out at world-famous exposures, which are frequently visited by globally operating companies. Further information is given here Bristol-& British Channel, UK

Oman

We run a 10 day field trip to Oman which covers evaporites, ophiolites, mantle rocks and recent eolian sediments as well as Alpine orogeny. The course agenda and further information is given here. Our Movie on the Oman Trip is on YouTube 2018 and YouTube 2022 and a report (in German) on KIT's journal clicKIT! More info on the website Oman

Breinig to Vicht

Recently we promoted the Lehmjöres hike around Stolberg-Vicht on WDR TV. The village Vicht is located 2 km south of Stolberg and 5 km ESE Aachen and stretches along the river Vicht. It not only displays the strong relation of geology and industry development, but is the origin of Germany’s industrial culture, which from the Aachen-Stolberg region later moved to the Ruhr area and established the Ruhr district, Europe’s largest industrial center. Please visit the Website Breinig to Vicht.

Wurm-syncline from Roetgen to Kohlscheid

We run a two day field trip for MSc students crossing the Inde- and Wurm-syncline near Aachen with a bicycle. On Saturday we cycle from Aachen northwards. On day 2 we take the bicycle on the bus to Roetgen, and cycle down the Stavelot-Venn massif zu Aachen. Please visit the website Roetgen to Kohlscheid.