The SFB 1313 TryScience Workshop „Climate Change: Droughts and Salinization“ took place on 31 October 2024. Our SFB 1313 doctoral researchers Anna Mareike Kostelecky, Rebecca Kohlhaas and Stefanie Kiemle from the Department of Hydromechanics and Modelling of Hydrosystems (LH2) welcomed 7 pupils from different schools (9th to 13th grade). They firstly explained the term "porous media", showing different examples. At a sample table, they had the chance to observe different porous media and at the microscope table they could observe the different porous structures of the samples.
The workshop team gave a first impression on the topic of climate change and the problem of droughts and water shortage in Germany and salinization on the international level. They presented the Collaborative Research Center (SFB) 1313 and explained why these topics are interesting for porous media researchers.
Experimenting with porous media
The pupils experimented together with the workshop team with the porous medium sand and constructed their own set-up. They filled sand into a measuring cup to the 50 ml mark and calculated the dry density and the porosity of the sand volume. Afterwards they saturated their sand set-up with water (flow in porous media) and identified the total sand volume and the water volume. Afterwards they also observed two different sand types (coarse and fine sand) saturated with water and could see if there was a difference concerning the porosity.
Numerical modelling of environmental problems
At the end of the workshop, our researchers showed the pupils non-invasive experimental methods to investigate the natural underground, and Stefanie Kiemle explained her work as a doctoral researcher within SFB 1313. She showed how the combination of experiments and simulations both contribute to make invisible processes visible and thus better understandable. She explained how the environmental problem of salinization can be illustrated in a numerical model and the mathematical equation behind the process.
SFB 1313 exhibit "Below the surface"
After the workshop, the participants got also the chance to use the SFB 1313 exhibit "Below the surface" that also covers the subjects of drought and salt precipitation. They could test their knowledge during a porous media/environmental engineering quiz.
VEGAS visit
Furthermore, they visited the Research Facility for Subsurface Remediation (VEGAS) and could learn about the experiments and research that are currently cunducted.
The workshop was real fun and the pupils made the impression that they liked it, too. Thank you very much to all of the workshop givers and helpers to make it a success!
About TryScience
The TryScience workshops of the University of Stuttgart offer the possibility to get to know various courses of study and research areas. Students of the higher high school grades can experience first-hand how exciting STEM studies can be. Numerous institutes open their doors so that students get an idea what they could eventually study after their degrees.