News
Arctic coasts on the retreat
The coastline in Arctic regions reacts to climate change with increased erosion and retreats by half a metre per year on average. This means substantial changes for Arctic ecosystems near the coast and the population living there. A consortium of more than thirty scientists from ten countries, including researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in the Helmholtz Association and from the Helmholtz Centre in Geesthacht, comes to this conclusion in two studies published in Estuaries and Coasts and online on www.arcticcoasts.org. They jointly investigated over 100,000 kilometres and thus a fourth of all Arctic coasts and their results have now been published for the first time. more
The GKSS is giving itself a new name
From the 1st of November, the centre will be known as the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht Zentrum für Material und Küstenforschung GmbH (Centre for Materials and Coastal Research). The new name intends to show the connection with the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres and the city of Geesthacht. The addition of the two conceptual pillars of material research and coastal research also outline the current research issues. more
New research facility for magnesium at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht
A new building containing a magnesium casting and rolling facility has been built at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Germany, for a value of about seven million Euros. This large casting and rolling facility was inaugurated on Wednesday, 28 of September, 2010. These new equipments will be used for research and development on magnesium sheet. They are further componens that complete the facilities of the Magnesium Innovation Centre, MagIC, to carry out the advanced R&D on magnesium technology at the Magnesium Innovation Centre, MagIC. The latter is a branch of the Geesthacht Institute of Materials Research. more
Fewer polar lows in the polar North Atlantic
Scientists at GKSS Research Centre Geesthacht have shown that the frequency of polar storms in the North Atlantic, so-called ‘polar lows’, can diminish in the course of global warming. In addition, the formation areas of polar lows can shift further northwards in future. The results of the Geesthacht coastal researchers have now been published in the scientific journal ‘Nature’. more
Storm Surges Congress 2010 – Scientists from 30 countries meet in Hamburg
The Institute for Coastal Research at the GKSS Research Centre Geesthacht, in cooperation with Hamburg KlimaCampus (Climate Campus) at Hamburg University and further national and international partners, is hosting the international “Storm Surges Congress 2010” from 13 to 17 September at the University of Hamburg. The Congress is organized through the global Earth system research project "Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone" (LOICZ), that investigates changes to coasts and the social consequences worldwide. more
GKSS scientists make statements on concentration of ash particles after volcanic eruption
Some German airlines levelled their criticism against the forecasts of the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) in London on the spread of the ash cloud over Europe, as these forecasts did not provide any precise information on the ash concentration in the atmosphere. Scientists at the GKSS Research Centre Geesthacht managed to reconstruct the spread process and make statements on the concentration of ash particles. more
New Laser Hall Opened – Welding for Research
A new hall with a semi-industrial laser system has been built at the GKSS Research Centre, Geesthacht, in collaboration with Airbus Deutschland GmbH. GKSS put in an investment of around a million Euros and the hall was officially opened on 19th April by representatives of GKSS and Airbus. The new system will be used to research laser beam welding of new lightweight construction alloys, among other areas. The material researchers from Geesthacht are taking over the system from the Airbus location in Nordenham. more
Close to the limits? GKSS researchers examine new high-performance materials
In January 2010, a new Helmholtz university junior research group was set up at the GKSS Research Centre in Geesthacht. The leader of the junior research group is GKSS employee, Dr. Sergio Amancio. Partner university is the Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg (TUHH). The new group devotes itself to the interface properties of polymer-metal hybrid structures produced by advanced joining technologies. About two million euros are available to the multiple-award-winning young researcher. more
Climate Change in Hamburg
Scientists from various disciplines, led by the KlimaCampus Hamburg, have presented the first ‘Climate Report for the Hamburg Metropolitan Area’. It brings together all relevant findings about past and future developments in the climate in the Hamburg region and the surrounding area of North Germany, and it evaluates them with reference to coast protection, species diversity, agriculture and tourism. more
The Residents of the North Sea Coast Fear more Storm Floods
“Climate change is the greatest danger on the North Sea coast”, according to 33% of the residents of the coast. This is one of the results of a current survey carried out by the GKSS Research Centre, Geesthacht, an institute for coastal research, in 22 communities along the German North Sea coast. The current GKSS study ‘Homeland, Environment and Risk on the German North Sea Coast – the Coastal Region from the Perspective of the Population’ also makes it clear that those surveyed believed their home region to be unique and beautiful. more
Keeping our sights on big breakers with radar
Scientists of the Geesthacht GKSS Research Centre have developed a radar system with which it is possible to study the behaviour of sea waves. This technology will be used immediately on the North Sea on the FINO3 research platform in order to determine the interactions between offshore wind power machines and swells. more
Director of GKSS-Institute Andreas Lendlein advocates for Innovation Centre
Today, the director of the Centre for Biomaterials at the GKSS-Research, Dr.
Andreas Lendlein, was appointed as the new science ambassador for the State of
Brandenburg.
more
Thailands Minister of Science visited GKSS-Biomaterials Researchers in Teltow
Close research connections between the Teltow biomaterials researchers at the GKSS-Institute for Polymer Research and Thai experts have existed for years. Currently there is a bilateral science project on the topic of regenerative medicine in development. more
Digital North German Climate Atlas now available online
The North German Climate Office Atlas of the GKSS-Research Centre in Geesthacht has developed a unique digital Online Atlas for future climate change in northern Germany. Decision makers and interested lay people can now get detailed information about the current state of research on climate change in the region using the internet. One of the numerous results from the Climate Atlas: Summer precipitation in northern Germany could decrease by as much as 40% by the end of the century. more
Research in the Nano-Realm
Transparent foils which are conductive and thus use sunlight for generation of energy. Hulls of ships, which no longer rust due to a nano-coating (nano-technology offers numerous surprising solutions for a variety of applications). The new Helmholtz-Group of Academic Talents ‘Nanochemistry and Nanoengineering’ deals intensively with the design and the development of new materials for industrial applications and, as part of the Geesthacht Institute for Polymer Research, the new group thus expands the research programme of the GKSS. more