Head: Prof. Dr. Andreas Weller

(1) Field of activity:

The department performs experimental and theoretical analysis at the basic geophysical parameters of rocks. The relationship between measurable geophysical parameters on the one hand and petrographic characteristics like lithology, structure or diagenesis and specific values like porosity, permeability or saturation respectively on the other hand are thereby of special interest.
The further developement of methods for analysing and interpreting data of geophysical borehole-measurements are based on the results of the petrophysics.

(2) Main aspects:

• The experiments in the laboratories deal with the frequency sensitivity of the complex electrical conductivity. Phenomenons of conductivity and polarisation in the range from millihertz up to gigahertz are also analysed.


• Build on former research of the department of the inner structure of the pore volume, newer methods (NMR-relaxometry and tomography) are used to describe the structure of the pore space. The aim is improving the characterisation of hydraulic procedures in the pore space, particulary for a reliable determination of the hydraulic permeability in situ.


• Cooperation in developing multi-electrode sensors for electrical measurements in boreholes, including the developement of efficient algorithms for analysing the gained data.


• The further developement of the method of induced polarisation and open up new fields of application like hydrogeology, environment and archaeometry, which are subject-matter of further research projects.