Content: This course is designed for petrologists, geochemists, volcanologists, and planetary scientists interested in extracting timescale information from rocks. Such information might include the residence times of magmas in reservoirs, the cooling or exhumation rates of rocks, the durations of terrestrial and extraterrestrial metamorphism (e.g., meteorite parent bodies), the duration of fluid flow (e.g., metasomatism by fluids/melts in the crust or mantle), and the evaluation and application of closure temperatures. The focus will be on high-temperature processes, making it relevant for those interested in high-temperature thermochronometry, diffusion chronometry, and geospeedometry. The course will run from Monday (06 October) till Friday (10 October), with a combination of lectures to introduce the topic and accompanying hands-on practical exercises. A more detailed course schedule and program will follow soon on our webpage

Goals and expected profile of participants: Previous experience with numerical modelling or programming is not required, but an interest in learning the rudiments of these tools is. One of the objectives of the course, however, is to demonstrate how much it is possible to accomplish without any or with very little programming. The basic information on diffusion that is required for carrying out such calculations will be provided, but this is not a course designed to cover all aspects of diffusion in minerals and melts.

In addition to instruction via lectures, a major component of the course will be hands on training to enable participants to “do your own” modelling. Participants will be expected to bring their own laptop computers with Excel and MATLAB installed on those. Knowledge of MATLAB is not required – instructions will be provided during the course. All instruction and exercises will be in English.

The course material will be designed for graduate students or postdocs starting off in the fields mentioned above, but participants with all levels of experience and expertise are welcome.

Ruhr-Universität Bochum

Universitätsstraße 150

44780 Bochum

Building: IA

Rooms: Seminar Room 

Campus Map with a marked location will be shared soon

Airports: Bochum is conveniently located in the heart of Europe, making it easily accessible by road, train, and air. The nearest airports are Düsseldorf (DUS) and Dortmund (DTM), with Düsseldorf Airport offering extensive international connections. Trains to Bochum from Düsseldorf include ICE, IC, RE, and S-Bahn options (35–60 minutes). Dortmund-Wickede Airport is also an option, though it primarily serves European no-frills airlines and is harder to reach by public transport.

Train: Ruhr-Universität Bochum is well connected by public transport. Fast ICE/IC/EC trains serve major German cities (https://int.bahn.de/en). Consider purchasing the “Deutschland ticket” for 58€, offering unlimited travel on RE, S-Bahn, buses, and the Bochum subway for a month (not valid on fast trains like ICE, EC, IC without additional tickets). There are fast train connections (2-3 hours) from Frankfurt International Airport as well.

Car: Ruhr-Universität Bochum is accessible by car via Autobahn A 43 (Exit 19, Bochum-Querenburg/Ruhr-Universität). Use Universitätsstraße 150 for navigation. Note that parking is limited when classes are in session.

The U-35 Subway (U-Bahn) line connects Bochum’s main train station (Hauptbahnhof) to Ruhr-Universität Bochum every 5 minutes during the day, with a travel time of about 10 minutes (https://www.vrr.de/en/). Tickets can be purchased at the train station, U-Bahn stops, or via the DB-Navigator app. Single rides cost 3 Euros, and multi-ride, day, and week passes are available. The Deutschland ticket is also valid on this route.

Accommodation is available through platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com. While options near the university are limited, we recommend staying in Bochum’s city centre or near the U-35 subway line for easy access to Ruhr-Universität Bochum.

Useful links:

• Bochum Tourism
• Airbnb | Holiday rentals
• IBIS Hotels in Bochum
• Booking.com | Offizielle Seite | Die besten Hotels, Flüge, Mietwagen & Unterkünfte

The exact course outline and program will be shared soon. 

Icebreaker: An informal icebreaker will be held at a local restaurant / bar on Sunday evening (October 05) before the start of the workshop. The exact time and location will be announced soon. Participants will be expected to cover the bills for food and drink themselves.

Short Course Dinner: There will be a conference dinner on Thursday evening, October 09 at 6:30 PM. The location is Yamas Mezé, Massenbergstraße 1, 44787 Bochum, which is also close to the main train station (5-minute walk). The costs for the dinner are covered including 1 alcohol-free drink; additional alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are at your own expense.