The research alliance “Planetary Evolution and Life” is led by the Institute of Planetary Research of the DLR. It was selected by the senate of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres e.V. (HGF) to be funded for five years, until the end of 2013. The alliance links research institutes to universities, both German and international. The alliance aims to highlight the interaction of life and planetary evolution, and to study the potential for the development of life on planetary bodies.
The department of Planetary Geology of the DLR Institute of Planetary Research is chairing the subtopic „Geological Context of Life“. Our partners are the Freie Universitaet Berlin, the Westfaelische Wilhelms - Universitaet Muenster, and the Alfred-Wegener-Institute in Potsdam.
Present and past topics of research are: o Volcanism and outgassing on Mars o Dating volcanic deposits on Mars o Hydrated minerals on Mars o Constrain water on Mars in space and time o Fluvial valleys on Titan
More information about the HFG-alliance can be found here:[http://www.dlr.de/pf/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-4843/]