An insight into the beginnings, a look into the future
The origins of our solar system is one of the central topics at the Congress. Conclusions can be drawn on the way our solar system developed - for example, on the "birth" of the sun around 4.6 billion years ago and how the planets in the solar system arose - by examining meteorites or pieces of rock from small planetary bodies. For example, researchers at Münster University's Institute of Planetology under the leadership of Prof. Thorsten Kleine were able to show, after examining meteorites, that the Earth and the moon were formed around 4.5 billion years ago - about 100 million years after the solar system came into being.
In spite of what has been learned so far there are still countless unanswered questions on the origins of our "homeland" in the universe, and among those looking into these questions are the Institute of Mineralogy and the Institute of Planetology at the Department of Geosciences at Münster University. "The aim of this journey through time back to the beginnings of our solar system is to gain a better understanding of how it and its planets came into being," says Dr. Timm John, a member of the committee organizing the Congress and a research associate at the Institute of Mineralogy. "What's particularly interesting is the question whether our solar system - with its planet Earth, which supports life - is unique or whether there are several such planetary systems in the universe."
Around 400 scientists will be attending the Congress, and they will not only be looking into the past, but will also be dealing with one of the most pressing problems of the present and the future. The increased occurrence of extreme weather conditions and natural disasters shows that we are now right in the middle of climate change. To keep this in check, it not only makes sense to avoid emissions of gases harmful to the climate: currently, the storage of carbon dioxide in the Earth is being examined in countless research projects all over the world. This "geological" storage deep underground might offer an opportunity to separate from the atmosphere the large quantities of carbon dioxide produced for example in coal-fired electricity generation or in the energy-intensive industrial processes in the steel and cement industries. Before any medium-term industrial use, however, further research work will be necessary. "In the Congress scientists will be given a framework in which to discuss the results of their field studies and laboratory examinations relating to possible storage scenarios," says Dr. John. "Later on, the quality and validity of model calculations associated with dimensioning and risk analyses will benefit from these discussions."
Mineralogy is the science of the origins, properties and applications of minerals. Mineralogists are involved with a large number of areas of knowledge - such as the origins of our solar system, the simulation of processes within the Earth, analyzing and growing crystals, or evaluating archaeological finds. Mineralogy also involves essential basic research in the production of so-called high-tech ceramics - used for example for artificial joints - in the analysis of environmental toxins, in the production of optimum building materials or in protecting masonry, buildings or works of art from environmental influences.