Field Trip 2

Field Trip 2

Vienna: From Buildings Stones to an Urban Geothermal and Geophysical Testsite

Date:
Monday 5 June 2023

Field Trip Leaders:

  • Thomas Hofmann (GeoSphere Austria)
  • Stefan Hoyer (GeoSphere Austria)

 

Description

Vienna is located next to the Danube on the western edge of the Vienna Basin, a Miocene pull-apart basin. Since Roman Times building stones from near-by quarries were used and reused for historical buildings. Most important are various types of Middle Miocene limestones from the Vienna Basin and local Upper Miocene clays for bricks. Gray Paleozoic granites from the Bohemian Massif are widely used as cobblestones. Especially during the 19th century, a wide range of decorative stones from all over Europe was used for facades of historical buildings.

This field trip will take you through the city center of Vienna to visit the geology of historical buildings. Afterwards the walk leads to the 1849 founded Imperial Geological Survey which played a major role in the development of the city.

Today the Geological Survey is part of the research center GeoSphere Austria. Among many others, research focuses on renewable energy especially on geothermal energy. A geophysical and geothermal test field in the garden of this institution will be visited to conclude this field trip.

 

Route Information

Combination of foot walk and trip with the underground in the city of Vienna.

 

Schedule

All time in CEST

TimeActivity
09:00Departure from Messe Wien with U2 and U1 (underground) to Stephansplatz.
Food walk from Stephansplatz via Graben and Kohlmarkt to Michaelerplatz with Looshouse and archeological excavation site. Walk via Hofburg to Maria-Theresien-Platz to the Museum of Natural History.
From here we take U3 to Rochusmarkt and proceed to GeoSphere Austria in Neulinggasse 38.
12:00 – 13:00Lunch
13:00 – 14:30Explanation of the institution and demonstration of the test site in the garden
14:30 – 16:00 (Optional)Visit of the Library of the institution

Entrance Fees / Permission Requirement

Ticket for Underground (Wiener Linien)

 

Suggested Restaurant Stop

In the neighborhood two restaurants are recommended:

Maria_Theresia_kl
The Maria Theresa Memorial is built of Bohemian granite. The green columns are made of serpentinite from South Tyrol.
Looshaus_kl
Cipollino marble at Looshouse (Michaeler-Platz) from the Greek island of Euboea.
GBA_TESTSITE_2
The geophysical and geothermal test field in the garden of the Geological Survey.