The research section Applied Geophysics focuses on the further development of seismic imaging methods and their application to shallow targets in environmental geophysics, as well as their application to the exploration of hydrocarbon reservoirs. The Applied Geophysics contributes to the KIT Centers Energy and Climate and Environment.

The research section Geophysics is divided into the main areas of seismology and the investigation of geological, geophysical natural hazards. The research branch Seismology deals with measuring, analysing and modelling of the seismic wave field. In research on geological natural hazards, the quantification of their impacts, their prognosis and early warning is important. The Geophysics contributes to the KIT Centers Energy and Climate and Environment.

Seismo geodesy researches deformation processes in the earth using geodetic and seismological measurement methods. Satellite-based measurements in particular allow global observations of ground movements and ground changes. We combine this data with measurements on the ground from geodetic and seismological station networks. In this way, very slow and very fast processes in the subsurface can be recorded, which are caused by tectonics and volcanism, but can also be man-made.