"unterirdisch - The Geo Show" (unterirdisch - English: subsurface, underground) is a public outreach event for middle and high school students that aims to introduce young scientists to geosciences and scientific drilling.This show has been held annually for more than 10 years at various cities in Germany and usually takes place during the annual colloquium on the deep drilling programs IODP3 and ICDP.
The latest Geo-Show took place on March 10, 2026 at a renowned venue of the city of Münster - Auditorium H1 in Schlossplatz. It was attended by the students in grades 7 through 11. The children enthusiastically greeted the ARD presenter Johannes Büchs and the invited geoscientists Liseth Perez of the University of Kiel, Dr. Louisa Bahr of the University of Hamburg und Prof. Dr. Laura Stutenbecker of the University of Münster. The scientists explained how the Earth’s turbulent past can be reconstructed using drill cores and rock samples. By extracting drill cores from layers of the Earth’s crust that extend several kilometres deep, researchers can gain insights into tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, raw material potential, and the drivers of climate change. They also shared their experiences of living aboard the ship on weeks-long expeditions.
Special highlights of the show were two live broadcasts, from the research ship “FS Sonne” at the time out at sea by San-Diego CA, USA and from the largest refrigerator in the world, the drill core storage facility at MARUM at the University of Bremen. Numerous prizes such as minerals, fossils and much coveted raw materials case (Raw Materials Set) were raffled off in an interactive quiz.
The show was organized by the University of Münster, the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the DFG Infrastructure Priority Programmes IODP3 and ICDP.
Trailer "unterirdisch - The Geo Show"
Teaching Resources “Mobile Phone Raw Materials Box”
Raw Materials Box was developed by the Deutsche Rohstoffagentur (DERA) by the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) as teaching material for schools. The contents offer a fascinating glimpse into the inner workings of a mobile phone and establish a link between geology – in the form of minerals and raw materials – and the smartphone as an everyday object.
The box contains nine raw materials used in mobile phones, along with instructions for carrying out tasks as part of a quiz. The documents attached here are also available to download below the text under the heading ‘School materials: Raw materials in smartphones’. Further explanatory learning and activity materials can be found via the link Handy-Aktion-NRW or in the accompanying book „Die Rohstoff-Expedition – Entdecke, was in (d)einem Handy steckt“(The Raw Materials Expedition - Discover what is hidden in your mobile phone)
We recommend printing the game board and playing cards on sturdy card or thick paper, and laminating them if needed. If you have any questions or encounter any problems with the download, please contact IODP@bgr.de.
Teaching Resources - Raw Materials in Smartphones - in German
Teaching Resources - Infosheet
Teaching Resources - Name the Raw Materials