Insights into Research Field Earth and Environment

The Helmholtz Association aims to use ground-breaking research to tackle the great questions of our time. Here, we present projects currently being carried out by scientists at the Helmholtz Centres. The examples range from fundamental questions concerning the origin of matter to health research and the development of high performance functional materials.

Water research in containers

Although targeted efforts to improve water quality have been underway for decades, only about 10 percent of water bodies are in good ecological condition as defined by the European Water Framework Directive.

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The "Helgoland roads" time series

A single hot summer is not necessarily a sign of a longterm trend, nor is a single large algal bloom.

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The gravitational field through the seasons

The Earth’s gravity not only differs from place to place, but fluctuates with the seasons and changes permanently.

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Ores from the ocean

Minerals such as copper, zinc, silver and gold occur along the boundaries of tectonic plates at the bottom of the sea, where smoking vents spew out large amounts of metal sulphur compounds that are then deposited on the seafloor in the form of massive sulphides.

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Using land, preserving ecosystems

More than 40 percent of the terrestrial surface of the Earth is used by humans for agriculture, animal grazing, infrastructure and settlements.

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The effects of thawing permafrost on climate change

About a quarter of the Earth’s surface in the northern hemisphere is underlain by soil that is frozen throughout the year.

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North sea storm surges and climate change

Future changes in the height of storm surges on Germany's North Sea coast will be determined by rises in the mean sea level and wind climate changes in the German Bight.