The aim of the so-called Future Day is to give pupils an insight into the world of work. To this end, the three facilities at the geocentre offered a diverse mix of geoscientific topics that all pupils could experience and touch at the various stations.

What is it like to go on a geological expedition? In the laboratory, the participants learned how samples are prepared and analysed in order to gain important insights into the Earth's past. And how many and which minerals are there anyway? The BGR's collection provided an overview of the most important minerals from mines around the world.

How can you actually discover faults with earthquake potential in the earth or find groundwater under our feet without digging? The LIAG took the pupils on a treasure and hazard hunt with ground penetrating radar and vibro-trucks and made the invisible visible. And once raw materials have been made visible, the question arises: who needs them, how are they extracted and how are they utilised? The LBEG answered this question with an overview of the raw materials found in Lower Saxony. And finally, the future scientists' detective instincts were put to the test. Travelling through time with fossils, they were able to classify rocks in time and identify layers of earth.

BGR President Prof. Dr. Ralph Watzel was delighted to welcome so many interested schoolchildren and explained the tasks at the geocentre: ‘Our scientific staff are committed to ensuring that our habitat is preserved for a long time to come and that resources and raw materials are used optimally.’ He was particularly impressed by the questions from the young guests, who showed that they had already dealt with the topic of raw materials on several occasions.

‘The places we can offer were once again booked up very early,’ said LBEG President Carsten Mühlenmeier. "This shows us year after year that our participation in the Future Day is very popular. And we hope to see one or two promising young scientists back with us at a later date." After all, the work at the Geocentre is not only fun, but also important, as the head of LIAG, Prof. Dr Martin Sauter, emphasised: ‘With the geosciences, we form the decisive basis for understanding the subsurface and being able to use it sustainably.’

Further information:

The Geo Centre Hannover in the Groß-Buchholz district is home to three major geoscientific institutions: The Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), the State Office for Mining, Energy and Geology (LBEG) and the LIAG Institute for Applied Geophysics (LIAG). A total of around 1,200 employees work there. They advise federal ministries, subordinate authorities, the EU, science and industry as well as the state government of Lower Saxony on geoscientific issues. The organisations stand for professional independence, quality and reliability in all geoscientific matters. Access to specialised knowledge and exchange in the applied geosciences is available there in a breadth that is unique in Germany and in some cases internationally, and is possible via short, direct routes. This results in synergetic co-operation in research.

Andreas Beuge, Tel.: 0511 643 2679, E-Mail: info@bgr.bund.de, Web: www.bgr.bund.de 
Greta Clasen, Tel.: 0511 643 2066, E-Mail: presse@liag-institut.de, Web: www.leibniz-liag.de 
Eike Bruns, Tel.: 0511 643 2274, E-Mail: presse@lbeg.niedersachsen.de, Web: www.lbeg.niedersachsen.de