Philip Benson

EMRP Earth Magnetism & Rock Physics

The 2011 Division Outstanding Young Scientist Award is awarded to Philip Benson for his innovative experimental simulations that have made an outstanding contribution to improving our understanding of volcano-seismic processes.

Philip Benson is a Rock Physicist with diverse and multidisciplinary research interests ranging from Geophysics to Structural geology. In particular, his laboratory work on fluid induced seismicity in active volcanic areas has provided fresh insight into the physical processes that generate the unique and diagnostic seismic signals known as Low Frequency harmonic tremor and which are frequently detected prior to eruption. Philip is currently a Faculty member of the Geological Institute, ETH Zurich where he leads the Rock Deformation research group; moving the laboratory investigation of coupled processes to still higher pressures and temperatures, including magma rheology and dynamics, ‘hydro’-fracture in deep geothermal systems, high strain and strain-rate processes, and deep seated earthquake seismicity.