GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences is one of the world’s leading research institutes in the field of Earth sciences. GFZ supports fundamental and applied research, training, and knowledge transfer in geosciences with a focus on solid Earth physics, seismology, geodesy, and geoinformation science. With its headquarters in Potsdam, Germany and several international sites around the world, GFZ employs about 1120 people from more than 60 nations.
The Centre was established in 1960 by merging several smaller institutes. It has been associated with the Helmholtz Association of National Research Centres since 2002. In 2012 GFZ celebrated its 50th anniversary with a number of events including an international symposium on “The Future of Geoscience”.
GFZ is organised into five scientific divisions: Solid Earth Physics; Seismology; Geodesy; Geoinformation Science; and Administrative Services & Support. Each division is headed by a Division Director who is also a member of the Executive Board. The Executive Board consists of the President, four Vice Presidents and the Division Directors. It sets the strategic direction for GFZ and coordinates activities across divisions.
Research at GFZ focuses on understanding processes within and related to the solid Earth – from plate tectonics to earthquakes, from volcanic eruptions to mineral resources formation – as well as developing methods and technologies for observing these processes from space or near-Earth environment. Understanding these processes helps us mitigate their impact on society or harness them for our benefit such as using geothermal energy or predicting earthquakes.