ETH Zurich

The Institute of Geophysics at the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences of ETH Zurich has three open PhD positions in earthquake seismology and hydromechanics. The candidates will be studying seismogenic processes on a natural fault zone, in a large scale fault activation project at the BedrettoLab.

The Bedretto Underground Laboratory for Geosciences and Geoenergies (BedrettoLab) is a unique research facility of ETH Zurich that allows studying earthquake physics, hydromechanics and deep geothermal energy under in-situ conditions. In the context of the Fault Activation and Earthquake Rupture (FEAR) project, we are working to induce and study earthquakes with magnitudes of ~1.0 on a natural Alpine fault zone. The BedrettoLab provides direct access to the target fault zone at a depth of ~1km, such that we can place monitoring equipment directly on and around the fault zone. Because of this direct access, we can potentially observe, model and understand earthquake dynamic and hydromechanic processes in exceptional detail. In this context we are looking for 3 highly motivated candidates to embark on a PhD to study the seismicity (PhD #1), the hydromechanics (PhD #2), and the rupture dynamics (PhD #3) of a natural, complex fault zone. The 3 successful PhD candidates will join the Bedretto Team, a large, international team of scientists, who together strive to advance our understanding of fault zone processes and earthquake physics. The PhD programs will focus on data from the major upcoming experiments of the FEAR project, planned between November 2024 and December 2026. Please follow the above links for more information and to apply.