We all would like to invite you to the 70th annual conference of the German Geophysical Society (DGG 
[1]) in Bochum. It will take place at the Ruhr-University Bochum [2] from 15th to 18th of March 2010.
In the heart of the Ruhr Area, Bochum had its time of prosperity sparked by coal mining and the iron and steel industry. Today still evidence of that industrial period may be found everywhere throughout the city. The famous Deutsches Bergbaumuseum [3] which is also widely known beyond Bochum treats the topic of the industrial times in the Ruhr Area. After coal mining was ceased in the 1970s, today service industries and high technology are of importance and the Ruhr-University [2] plays an exceptional role in local urban developement. The high quality of life that the region offers between urban liveliness and rural quietness may be one reason why the Ruhr Area will host the European Capital of Culture [4] in 2010.
In 1965, the Ruhr-University Bochum [2] was the first German university built after World War II. With its 20 faculties gathered on one campus it evolved to one of the biggest universities in Germany with a very high reputation in research matters. The special architectural concept well integrates the campus into its surrounding nature and at the same time allows for a very close interdisciplinary cooperation and research between the faculties. These excellent conditions may be one reason for the university's numerous Collaborative Research Centres ("Sonderforschungsbereiche" SFB) funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG [5]). In geosciences the SFB 526 "Rheology of the Earth" [6] is of importance, where geodynamic processes from upper crust to the subduction zone and controlling material properties are examined. Geophysical aspects such as rock physics, earthquakes, geodynamics of the lithosphere as well as numeric modelling and visualization will be central topics [7] of the conference. Also the role of geophysics for future energy supply will be focused on. A social programme [8] and several excursions [9] complete the conference.
Glückauf!
We are looking forward to welcoming you to Bochum at the anniversary conference of the German Geophysical Society in 2010.
Yours Wolfgang Friederich and Jörg Renner (local organizing committee)