Research

“The Nördlinger Ries is the only complex impact crater on Earth where the crater structure and the ejecta blanket have been largely preserved, are very accessible and have been intensively studied over the last 50 years. The Ries therefore plays a unique role in terrestrial impact crater research and its application in planetology and represents a reference crater for which it is desirable to record the geophysical, geological and petrographic facts as completely as possible.” (Pohl et al. 2010). Despite numerous research activities, many questions remain unanswered. The Ries therefore has great potential for the advancement of relevant knowledge.

With ZERIN, the Center for Ries Crater and Impact Research Nördlingen, the city of Nördlingen operates another facility in the immediate vicinity of the museum, which acts as a base for Ries and impact-related research by guests from all over the world. This is also the focus of the city’s own research, in which the laboratory for radiogenic isotopes located here plays a central role.