Text icon 'UFR' standing for University of Freiburg
Chair of General Geology and Structural Geology
Seal element of the university of freiburg in the shape of a clover

Research


The working group focuses on impact crater research and shock metamorphism, planetary tectonics and rock mechanics.

Research

Research

Impact Crater


In the field of impact crater research, field studies and laboratory experiments are carried out with the aim of understanding the processes involved in meteorite impacts and detecting impact craters on Earth.

Research

Tectonics


We conduct tectonic studies on Earth, Mars, Venus, Mercury and Jupiter’s icy moon Ganymede and are currently involved in the JUICE mission to Jupiter.

Research

Material Properties and Microstructures


We investigate material properties and microstructures of minerals and rocks under different deformation conditions. These range from quasi-static deformation to dynamic loads and shock wave stress.

The scale of the analyses ranges from the micrometer to the thousand-kilometer scale and involves the use of electron-optical microscopy through to satellite-based remote sensing.

Research Projects

Research Project

Formation of the large impact crater field in Wyoming, USA

Funding: DFG-Projekt KE 732-30
Team: Thomas Kenkmann, Sebastian Sturm
Kooperationspartner:
Kent Sundell, Casper, USA, Doug Cook, Co, USA, Allan Fraser, Casper, USA, Auriol Rae (Univ. Edinburgh, UK), Mohamed Sobh (LIAG-Hannover)

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Research Project

Formation of Wrinkle Ridges on Mars

Funding: DAAD
Team: Oguzcan Karagoz, Filippo Carboni, Thomas Kenkmann

Wrinkle ridges are among the most common compressional-tectonic structures on terrestrial planets and are very common on Mars. While their formation is attributed to crustal shortening caused by horizontal stresses, their characterization at depth is still controversial.

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Research Project

JANOBS-IMTEC

Funding: DLR
Team: Namitha Rose Baby, Thomas Kenkmann
Kooperationspartner: Katrin Stefan, Ernst Hauber DLR

Thomas Kenkmann and Namitha Rose Baby are members of the JANUS camera experiment on board the JUICE space mission to Jupiter and its moons.

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Research Project

Deformation rate-dependent brittle deformation of rocks during impact cratering: linking mechanical data with microstructures

Funding: DFG KE 732/27-1 und SCHA 1612/2-1
Team: Thomas Kenkmann, Frank Schäfer, Auriol Rae, Vivek Padmanaba

The aim of the project was to investigate the behavior of geological materials under dynamic loading conditions, such as those that occur in meteorites.

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Research Infrastructure

The professorship has an excellent research infrastructure. Various experiments on tectonics are carried out and analyzed using special software.

  • Ultrapycnometer
  • Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar
  • Triaxial Loading Frame
  • Analogue Laboratory
  • Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV)
  • White Light Interferometer (WLI)
  • Scanning Electron Microscope
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About us

Our profile, latest news and more

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Teaching

Our courses and information about theses

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Team

Introduction of our team members with contact details

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New Publications

  • Struzynska, P., Alwmark, S., Alwmark, C.,  Poelchau, M.H. & Lambert, P. (2025):  Vertical profiling of shock attenuation at the Rochechouart impact structure, France. Meteoritics & Planetary Science. https://doi: 10.1111/maps.70078.
  • Matthews, E.E., Rae, A.S.P.,  Kenkmann, T., Timms, N. E.,  Cavosie, A.J. & Holness, M.B. (2025): Determining impact angle from the spatial distribution of shock metamorphism: A case study of the Gosses Bluff (Tnorala) impact structure, Australia. Meteoritics and Planetary Science, https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70070.
  • Carboni, F., Karagoz, O., Ruh, J.B. & Kenkmann, T. (2025):  Gravity-driven fold-thrust belt at the Martian dichotomy. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 671, 119645. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2025.119645.

Completed Projects