News
Oceanic plate between Arabian and Eurasian continental plates is breaking away
A research team led by Göttingen University investigated the influence of the forces exerted by the Zagros Mountains in the Kurdistan region of Iraq on how much the surface of the Earth has bent over the last 20 million years. Their research revealed that deep below the Earth’s surface, the Neotethys oceanic plate – the ocean floor that used to be between the Arabian and Eurasian continents – is breaking off horizontally, with a tear progressively lengthening from southeast Turkey to northwest Iran. more…
Glimpse of the weather of a world far away
An international research team led by the University of Göttingen has discovered extremely strong winds on the exoplanet “WASP-127b”. The winds along the equator of this planet can reach speeds of up to 33,000 kilometres per hour. These results help better understand the atmosphere of planets outside our solar system. The research was published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. more…
Hornworts provide clues to plant evolution
Land plants are extremely diverse: over 400,000 species reaching every corner of the world. Certain plants - such as the towering trees or the crops in our fields - are the ones that capture our attention. Yet, it is tiny plants, such as the humble hornwort, that can hold clues about plant evolution and diversity. Now, an international team has generated a unique dataset resource about the hornwort which provides new insights into plants’ early evolution, characteristics and continuing development. more…
The Moon: a chunk ejected from Earth?
A research team from Göttingen University and the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) has discovered another piece in the puzzle of the formation of the Moon and water on Earth. The prevailing theory was that the Moon was the result of a collision between the early Earth and the protoplanet Theia. New measurements indicate that the Moon formed from material ejected from the Earth's mantle with little contribution from Theia. In addition, the findings support the idea that water could have reached the Earth early in its development and may not have been added by late impacts. more…
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Further news
Proposal for interim President – special Senate meeting on 5 February 2025
Following the Senate meeting on 22 November 2024, a working group had been working on a timely answer to the question of who should lead the University until the regular election of a new President. This week, the working group agreed on Professor Axel Schölmerich as interim President of the University of Göttingen. more…
Health, happiness and prosperity in the New Year!
For 2025, we would like to wish health, happiness and personal and professional success to all students, staff, guests and alumni of Göttingen University and Göttingen Campus. more…