Permanent Scientists and Lab Management

Prof. Johan O. A. Robertsson

Graduate of Uppsala University, Sweden (M.Sc.) and Rice University, Houston (Ph.D.). After graduating he spent two years as a postdoc at ETH-Zürich. In 1996 he joined oilfield service company Schlumberger where he spent 15 years in various R&D and management positions in Cambridge (UK), London and Oslo. In his last assignment with Schlumberger he was Research Director of Geophysics and Scientific Advisor at Schlumberger Gould Research, Cambridge, UK. Professor Robertsson’s research interests include multicomponent data acquisition, wave-equation based processing, physics of wave propagation and full waveform modelling. He has held various offices with the SEG, EAGE and RAS. He is recipient of the Eni award (2015), an ERC advanced grant (2016), EAGE’s Conrad Schlumberger award (2016), and EAGE’s Guido Bonarelli Award (2020). In 2020 he was SEG honorary lecturer. Prof. Robertsson is currently head of Department of Earth Sciences at ETH-Zürich.

Prof. Hansruedi Maurer

Graduate of ETH-Zürich (B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.). Professor Maurer’s research interests span from algorithmic developments for geophysical tomography to innovative field studies (e.g., natural hazards, storage of dangerous waste, hydrogeophysics). A key aspect of his research is the tight coupling of latest developments in numerical modelling and inversion theory with solution of field applications of geophysical methods. Professor Maurer is also one of the leading scientists in geophysical experimental design. His contributions in this relatively new research discipline were awarded with the Best Poster Award at the 1997 meeting of the SEG and the 2004 Best Paper Award in Geophysics. Professor Maurer also holds offices with the SEG.

Dr. Fredrik Andersson

Fredrik Andersson received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from Lund University in 2000 and 2005, respectively. He previously held a position as associate Professor of mathematics at Lund University. His research interests include inverse problems, fast algorithms and harmonic analysis.

Dr. Cedric Schmelzbach

Graduate of University of Zurich and ETH Zurich (B.Sc., M.Sc.), and Uppsala University, Sweden (Ph.D.), including an extended visit to Rice University, Houston. After graduating, Dr. Schmelzbach spent three years as a postdoc at University of Potsdam, Germany, followed by one year as postdoc at Freie Universität Berlin, Germany. In 2012, he joined ETH first as a postdoc and since 2013 as a senior scientist and lecturer. Dr. Schmelzbach’s research interest include seismic exploration at different scales with one focus being near-surface seismic methods, acquisition and processing of seismic multicomponent data, seismic spatial-gradient and rotational measurements, and multi-disciplinary investigations of the shallow subsurface. He is member of EGU, AGU, EAGE, SEG and DFG. He holds offices with the EGU and is member of the editorial board of the journal Interpretation.

Dr. Dirk-Jan van Manen

Graduate of Utrecht University, the Netherlands (M.Sc.) and the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom (Ph.D.). Dr. van Manen completed his Ph.D. as a Marie Curie industry-host fellow with oilfield service company Schlumberger and thereafter joined their R&D department where he worked for 7 years in various research and technical project management positions. In 2014, Dr. van Manen joined the ETH as a senior researcher and lecturer in the Exploration and Environmental Geophysics group. His research interests include multi-component seismic data acquisition, interferometry and exact boundary conditions. He is currently building two novel laboratories for immersive wave propagation experimentation. Dr. van Manen is a recipient of the SEG’s J. Clarence Karcher Award and the EAGE’s Arie van Weelden Award.

Prof. Alan G. Green

Alan Green completed his studies at British universities before moving to Canada in 1973. After a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Earth Physics Branch, Ottawa, he became Assistant Professor of Geophysics at the University of Manitoba. In 1979, he became a Section Head at the Geological Survey of Canada, Ottawa. During his 19 years in Canada, he further developed and applied seismic reflection methods in investigations of the continental crust, studies associated with nuclear waste disposal and mineral exploration in crystalline terranes.

He was Full Professor of Engineering and Environmental Geophysics at ETH between 1992 and 2013 and is now Emeritus Professor. His research interests have included the further development of various geophysical techniques and their applications to diverse applied, engineering, and environmental issues. He has led and participated in research projects concerned with seismically active faults, unstable mountain slopes and associated microseismicity, rock glaciers, radioactive waste disposal, aquifers, landfills, overdeepened river valleys, and archeology. His extensive field investigations were conducted throughout Canada, including the Arctic Ocean, USA, New Zealand, Switzerland, Austria, Egypt, and Botswana.

Alan Green has co-authored more than 200 publications in top international journals and nearly 100 contributions to conference proceedings volumes. One journal paper received the "2004 Best Paper in Geophysics Award", two others received "Honorable Mention for Best Paper in Geophysics Award", and another received  "Best Paper in 10 Years Award in the Journal of Geophysics and Engineering". Among the other awards he has received are: Honorary Doctoral Degree from the University of Uppsala, Medal of the University of Helsinki, Membership of Academia Europaea, Honorary Professor at the China University of Geosciences, Honorary President of the International Lithosphere Programme, Mueller Medal of the European Geoscience Union, and Distinguished Achievement Award of the Society of Exploration Geophysics. He is currently a consultant for radioactive waste disposal in Switzerland.

Dipl.-Geophysiker Heinrich Horstmeyer

Graduate of the Technical University Clausthal, Germany (B.Sc., M.Sc.). After working in crustal scale reflection seismics (German DEKORP and KTB programs, Swiss NRP-20 program "Geological Deep Structure of Switzerland"), his research focused more on the shallow subsurface. He is utilizing different geophysical methods to resolve problems in archeological, environmental and other shallow geological problems. He has been leading several geophysical field campaigns, e.g. mapping active faults in New Zealand and is managing the Applied Geophysical Processing Laboratory. He is a member of SEG and EAGE. He holds offices with the EAGE.

Christoph Bärlocher

Christoph is taking care of all our field and lab equipment. He is also supporting many of our projects by modifying existing hardware and developing new instrumentation.