Flügel-Course: International Course on Carbonate Microfacies

Photo of the month August 2026: Heavily bioeroded oncoids from the Upper Jurassic of northern Germany. The fine-grained matrix has been completely dolomitized (presumably before lithification), while the shell fragments and the oncoids retain their calcite mineralogy. Some of the borings contain bivalve shell fragments (see detail in yellow rectangle). Some of the borings are filled with dolomitised matrix, others with dolomite and calcite cements (e.g. in the yellow rectangle). The left portion of the thin section is stained with Alizarin Red S.

Let’s be clear: Without Birgit Leipner-Mata, our Flügel-courses simply wouldn’t be the same. Today, we offer her our heartfelt birthday wishes 🎂 and celebrate 🎉 her long-standing service anniversary at the same time!

For many years, Birgit has ensured that our Carbonate Facies course is always supplied with new thin sections from around the world. It is only thanks to her work that we can continually breathe new life into the course content and provide exclusive insights into carbonate sedimentology.

Thank you for your tireless dedication, dear Birgit!

🪨 The Mystery of Dolomite: Solved in Germany’s Franconian Alb? 🇩🇪

Even though dolomite is incredibly common worldwide, scientists still debate exactly how it forms. A new study took a deep dive into the Upper Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) rock layers of southern Germany to figure out how these ancient dolostones were made.
Science is always finding new secrets locked inside ancient reefs! 🌊🔍
PDF available here: https://t1p.de/8ft8v

Photo of the month July 2026: Thin section of a lagoonal limestone showing a gastropod with geopetal filling (arrow) and numerous small ostracods. The sediment is characterised by large degassing structures (few of them outlined with a yellow dotted line), some of which have been refilled with sediment (Silurian, Gotland, PPL).

Reminder! New MSc (ESDE) at FAU Germany! 🌍🧪
Starts Oct 2026. Interdisciplinary + Science Diplomacy. No tuition fees worldwide! 🎓
Funding: Elite Network of Bavaria.
🗓️ Deadline: July 15
Info & Reg: earthsystem-master.nat.fau.eu

Photo of the month June 2026: Thin section of a stromatoporoid (hypercalcified sponge) from the Silurian of Gotland in transmitted light (right, TL) and fluorescent light (left, FL). Orange arrow indicates the stromatoporoid skeleton, purple arrow points to a gallery, and white arrows shows an example of a microgallery. Yellow dashed lines mark outline of FRIC crystals (picture modified from Dworczak et al. 2026, FACIES, vol. 72, no. 18; online available at:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10347-026-00732-w)

Now on LinkedIn! It’s time for us to connect with you here and keep you up to date, so follow us and interact with us! https://www.linkedin.com/company/119154239

New MSc in Earth System Dynamics & Evolution at FAU Germany! 🌍🧪
Starts Oct 2026. Interdisciplinary + Science Diplomacy. No tuition fees worldwide! 🎓
Funding: Elite Network of Bavaria.
🗓️ Deadline: July 15
💻 Webinars: May 26 (9:00/18:00 CEST)
Info & Reg:

FAU ESDE MSc. Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, GeoZentrum Nordbayern, Schlossgarten 5 91054 Erlangen

Modern LEDs and digital image processing in fluorescence microscopy make it possible to visualise skeletal structures that would otherwise be impossible (or very difficult) to detect in thin sections. Patrycja Dworczak, who is currently working as a postdoc with us at the GZN in Erlangen (Germany), has, together with her co-authors, applied this method to demonstrate that some Palaeozoic stromatoporoids originally possessed highly porous skeletons. The article is freely accessible and can be downloaded here:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10347-026-00732-w

Photo of the month May 2026: Uppermost Triassic (Rhaetian) stromatolitic limestone with dendrolites (“Cotham Marble“) from the Penarth Group south of Bristol (thin section, PPL, sample kindly provided by Stephen Kershaw; Brunel University, UK)