Research Mission

The research areas covered by the Faculty's academics are grouped in four thematic areas: cosmos, Earth, environment and anthropo-sphere. These thematic areas overlap extensively and underpin the Faculty's mission, namely understanding the cosmos, Earth, and society to ensure the sustainability of our planet. These areas go beyond the Faculty and are jointly addressed together with other faculties to define a wide range of overlapping themes following the Faculty's mission.

Regardless of these four thematic areas the scientists of the Faculty address the following seven key research areas:

  • Planets, stars and galaxies as components of the universe
  • Reconstruction of geodynamic processes
  • Geomaterials
  • Atmosphere, weather and climate
  • Evolutionary mechanisms and ecosystems in space and time
  • Environmental processes and natural risks
  • Population and socio-economy

 

more (starting with page 146)

Cosmos

Star-forming region

The thematic area of cosmos aims to understand the origin and evolution of stars, galaxies and planets like the Earth. [more]

Earth

Oetztal Alps in satellite image

The aim of the thematic area of Earth is to gain a deeper understanding of how planet Earth works. [more]

Environment

Mountain landscape with houses

The research in the thematic area of environ-ment aims to better understand environmental processes and their interactions and to develop new methods that help assess the present situ-ation and predict our environment's future de-velopment. [more]

Anthroposphere

People in front of a building

The thematic area of anthroposphere aims to understand how human activity taking place in space and time shapes our planet's environment while being, in turn, influenced by the environment. [more]