Geological research
Research assignment and vision
Geology at the service of people and society ...
The members of the Department are engaged in research ... into the origin, structure and functioning of the Earth, and into the origin and evolution of life.
Into ... the origin and occurrence of natural resources, such as minerals, ores, sand and groundwater, and how humans can use these natural resources in the most sustainable way possible;
Into ... ways to use the natural properties of the Earth to generate energy responsibly (e.g. geothermal energy), and to allow our society to help achieve the energy transition to non-fossil fuels;
Into ... the natural risks that come with living on a dynamic planet (earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, climate extremes), so that communities can better protect themselves against those risks;
Into ... the evolution of life and the climate through geological times, in order to gain a better understanding on the possible impacts of current global warming on our environment, on the oceans and the ice caps, and on life.
Research groups
Research groups within the Department of Geology:
- Laboratory of Applied Geology and Hydrogeology (LTGH)
- Mineralogy & Petrology Research Group (MinPet)
- Paleontology and Paleo-environments research group
- Pore-scale Processes in Geomaterials (PProGRess) research group
- Renard Center of Marine Geology (RCMG) research group
Research output
Cooperation with Databank Ondergrond Vlaanderen (DOV)
UGent and DOV are collaborating to expand the scientific data set on the Flemish subsurface as much as possible. Digitizing the geological archives of Prof. dr. Em. De Breuck was the main motivation behind this collaboration between UGent and DOV.