The Earth is approximately 4.5 billion years old, but there are no signs of it coming to rest. We experience this literally through the destructive action of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Over a period of many millions of years, processes like continental drift and the uplifting of mountain ranges take place repeatedly at an almost imperceptibly slow pace. The exhibition informs about these phenomena and their causes. “Plate tectonics” is the key word: gigantic slow-flowing movements in the hot magma deep beneath the earth’s crust push the continental plates against each other. This causes huge sections of the plates to subduct, before they are remelted and rise again as molten rock to build new crustal structures on the earth’s surface.

A large relief globe rotates in the middle of the exhibition, displaying the continents with their mountain ranges and sea bed structures including deep-sea trenches and mid-ocean ridges. The large graphic illustration of plate tectonic processes nearby helps to make clear the meaning of these structures on the surface of the earth.

It is not only the inner forces which are constantly changing the face of our planet. The earth’s surface is also influenced by the energy produced by solar radiation and by the changing temperatures, which maintain the continuous large-scale circulation of water and air masses. Wind and weather, the most important factors of erosion, gnaw incessantly at the surface and with time even wear away complete mountain ranges. Flowing water and glacial activity transport the gravel over long distances and change the landscape. Ultimately, all these changes are brought about by solar energy, which has a substantial influence on geological processes.

Evidence for the specific processes can be found in rock samples which are displayed at numerous locations throughout the exhibition. Information is provided about their origins, their mineral compositions and the useful raw materials which they may contain. The extraction of raw materials, as well as their limited availability, is another important theme. In a showcase you can see three “speaking stones” which talk about their “experiences” via earphones. One of them is almost four billion years old and by far the oldest object in the museum. If you want to project yourself back to this period, you can view the diorama “On the Earth, Four Billion Years Ago”.

A visit to the small film room is also worthwhile. Here you can view a non-stop programme of video films on various geological themes. Short film presentations are also offered at other locations throughout the exhibition, covering such topics as volcanism and earthquakes. A real hands-on exhibit deals with the topic of “Earthquakes”: By hitting a stone column provided for this purpose, you can create a “mini-earthquake”, the vibrations of which are registered on a seismometer and displayed on a monitor.

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