Max Planck Institute for Chemistry

The Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (Otto Hahn Institute) is involved in basic research into the creation, development and future of our planet and its neighbors. The scope of research areas stretches from the planets of our solar system to the atmosphere of our planet and further to its molten core. Research focuses on the chemistry of the Earth system, whereby all components of the system - oceans, atmosphere, solid earth, biosphere and humans - are investigated as mutually interactive parts of an integral system.

The institute researches the Earth and its environment on a range of scales from nanoparticles to the planet itself, from the dynamics of the ecosystem to global climate change. Observing natural phenomena in field studies often gives rise to scientific questions. The researchers investigate selected components of the Earth system under controlled conditions in the laboratory and use computer models to understand the interactions within the system and to clarify feedback mechanisms.

The departments of Biogeochemistry, Atmospheric Chemistry and Particle Chemistry focus research on investigating processes on relatively short scales of space and time. The Department for Earth System Chemistry, currently under development, extends the spatial scale via satellite-based remote exploration. A joint department with the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in the field of chemical paleoclimatology extends the institute's scientific portfolio in the direction of longer time scales. A continuing focal point is the modeling of the Earth system, which is fostered through the partnership with numerous Max Planck Institutes and the Potsdam Institute of Climate Impact Research. The institute further expanded its research focus on the reciprocation between biosphere and atmosphere in the tropics by acquiring the research station in Manaus, Brazil, in 2007, and implementing a number of expeditions to the Amazon region.