Sedimentary Basins – Mankind’s Greatest Resource
Sediment basins are large subsidence structures in the Earth’s surface that cover many thousands of square kilometres. Over millions of years large quantities of rock and the remains of animals and plants have been deposited by wind and water.
Although sediment basins account for only a small proportion of the entire surface of the Earth, they contain by far the greatest part of the important raw materials and energy resources required by humankind. First and foremost, these include the fossil fuels of crude oil and natural gas, but also geothermal energy, most of the natural building materials, and vital drinking water. Furthermore, these areas of the Earth’s crust also serve important economic functions as locations for landfill sites or natural gas storage cavities.
The aim of the research work carried out in this field as part of the GEOTECHNOLOGIEN programme is to gain a deeper understanding of how these basins are formed and how they develop. In this way, it is hoped that the foundations can be laid for a scientific sediment-basin management process. A further necessary step is to refine and apply the various existing investigation and modelling technologies in an integrated manner.
