Geosciences Working Group

lecturer: Elmar Albers
The seabed near the Mariana Trench and the coastal mountains in California have one thing in common: blue mud that has been transported from the depths of the Earth`s mantle to the surface, or the seabed. In the Western Pacific, the mud is deposited by recent mud volcanism, in California it dates back to the early Cretaceous period and the exact form of deposition is unclear. In both cases, the mud harbours ecosystems that use the chemical energy produced by the rock as a basis for life. In this lecture, we will embark on a journey of discovery across the Pacific that will give us an insight into a variety of exciting geological processes.

to webpage