Dr. Bernd Leiss

Bernd Leiss research and teaching focuses on two main topics:

1. Exploration of the geothermal potential for heat supply of the Göttingen University campus


We are actually compiling existing geological information and integrating new data from geological mapping projects and the data from a seismic exploration campaign in spring 2015. On this GIS-based geological 3D-model, we are just evaluating locations for a 2000 m exploration well. To finally integrate geothermal energy concepts of shallow, medium and deep geothermal systems for the heat- and cooling supply for the University campus, I am working at the Technical Building Management of the University of Göttingen. This configuration allows knowledge transfer from basic geoscientific research to geological-technical applications in an outstanding way.

2. Material science related Structural Geology

For the understanding of the deformation mechanisms of plastically deformed rocks (shear zones) Bernd Leiss mainly investigates the development and significance of crystallographic preferred orientations (textures). For quantitative texture analyses, he applies a broad spectrum of sophisticated methods as light microscopic and diffraction techniques (electron-, classic X-ray-, Synchrotron- and neutron diffraction). This allows texture analyses of very different rocks such as carbonates, rock salt, granites, amphibolites and clay rocks. Case studies are located e.g. in the Alpi Apuane in Italy, the Erzgebirge and the Harz mountains in Germany, from drill cores of the potash mines of Morsleben, Gorleben and Remlingen as well as from drill cores of the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) close to Japan and Costa Rica.