Emeritus and former professors
Alexey Kuvshinov
Alexey Kuvshinov was Adjunct Professor in Geophysics and led the research group “Electromagnetic studies of the Earth” at the Department of Earth Sciences at ETH Zurich from 2006 to 2023. His main research interest focused on the development and application of electromagnetic methods to probe the Earth at different scales using different data, including satellite magnetic field measurements. In particular, he was the ETH team leader in multiple international projects supported by the European Space Agency aimed to exploit the data from the Swarm satellite geomagnetic mission.
2022
Simon Löw
Simon Löw was Full Professor of Engineering Geology in the Department of Earth Sciences at ETH Zurich from 1996 to 2022. His research had a focus on hydro-mechanical processes in fractured rocks at project relevant scales. He was regarded as an international expert in the fields of nuclear waste repositories, deep tunnels and rock mass behaviour. Simon Löw was also President of the Swiss Commission for Nuclear Waste Disposal (EGT). He had a decisive impact on the destiny of the Geological Institute at ETH Zurich during his many years as Head of the Institute or Deputy Head.
2021
Nathalie Dubois
Nathalie Dubois was an SNSF-funded Assistant Professor of Palaeolimnology at the Department of Earth Sciences at ETH Zurich from 2016 to 2021. Within the project “MACRO: Molecular traces of Anthropogenic and Climatic impact in Remote Oceania”, she examined sediments of lakes and peatlands for traces of early human activities and how these affected the ecosystems of previously uninhabited islands in the Eastern Pacific. Her research further enhanced the already existing collaboration with Eawag in the field of palaeolimnology.
2020
Edi Kissling
Edi Kissling was Adjunct Professor in Geophysics and was leading the research group “general and experimental seismology” at the Department of Earth Sciences at ETH Zurich from 1995 to 2020. For more than 30 years he taught various courses and acted as student’s counselor at ETH and the University of Zurich. His main research interest focused on the development and application of seismic tomography. Leading the Swiss contribution, he was co-principal investigator to 16 longtime international field experiments and he initiated and lead the large seismic experiment AlpArray as coordinator. Between 2003 and 2020 he served as president of the Swiss Geophysical Commission.
2019
Ann Hirt
Ann Marie Hirt was Adjunct Professor in Geophysics at the Department of Earth Sciences at ETH Zurich from 2008 to 2019. She directed the Laboratory of Natural Magnetism and conducted research in the area of palaeomagnetism and rock magnetism. The main focus of her research was on magnetic anisotropy, which covered fundamental magnetic properties of minerals to various geological applications in different areas. In addition, she had extensive cooperation with research groups, both within and outside of ETH, in chemistry, material sciences, robotics, and life sciences.
Christoph A. Heinrich
Christoph A. Heinrich was Full Professor of Mineral Resources and Geochemistry of Hydrothermal Processes at ETH Zurich from 1997 to 2019, holding a dual professorship with the University of Zurich. His research interests focused on geological processes leading to the formation of mineral resources in the Earth's interior. His group also worked on other fluid processes, particularly deep geothermics. He has conducted field studies throughout the world in collaboration with various industrial companies. Among other roles, Christoph A. Heinrich served as Director of Studies of the Department of Earth Sciences and was also Head of the Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology for a number of years.
2018
Lucie Tajčmanová
Lucie Tajčmanová was Assistant Professor of Metamorphic Petrology at the Department of Earth Sciences at ETH Zurich from 2013 to 2018. With the ERC Starting Grant “MADE-IN-EARTH” was she researching how the mineralogy observed on the surface of a rock can be used to determine the conditions under which it was originally formed. Her research group conducted in-depth analysis on the interactions between metamorphosis and deformation of rocks in the lithosphere. She carried out a key bridging function between the geology and petrology groups at the department.
Jean-Pierre Burg
Jean-Pierre Burg was Full Professor of Geology at the Department of Earth Sciences at ETH Zurich from 1993 to 2018, with a dual professorship with the University of Zurich. He combined his field work on deformations with laboratory experiments and numerical modelling in order to test the stability of experimental principles over geological periods. Most of his field studies were conducted in the Himalayas, especially the area of Pakistan where the Karakoram Plate collides with the subducting Northern Kohistan Plate. Jean-Pierre Burg was the first foreigner to gain access to this remote region.
2016
Tapio Schneider
Tapio Schneider was Full Professor of Climate Dynamics at the Department of Earth Sciences at ETH Zurich from 2013 to 2016. He is an expert in the climate dynamics of the Earth and other planets and he and his research group investigated questions such as surface temperature, winds and precipitation patterns.
2013
Alan Green
Alan Green was Full Professor of Engineering and Environmental Geophysics at the Department of Earth Sciences at ETH Zurich from 1992 to 2013. His research interests included the development of various geophysical techniques and their applications to diverse applied, engineering and environmental issues. He led and participated in research projects concerned with seismically active faults, unstable mountain slopes, rock glaciers, radioactive waste disposal, aquifers, landfills, overdeepened river valleys, and archaeology.
2004
William Lowrie
William Lowrie was professor of geophysics at the ETH Zürich from 1974-2004. He has authored or co-authored three editions of the textbook “Fundamentals of Geophysics” and three other books on geophysical topics. He has published 135 research articles on palaeomagnetism and rock magnetism. From 1987 to 1989 he was President of the European Union of Geosciences (EGU) and from 2000 to 2002 he was Section President and Council member of the American Geophysical Union. He is an elected Fellow of AGU and Member of the Academia Europaea. In 2022 he was awarded the Arthur Holmes medal of EGU.
In Memoriam: Judith McKenzie
Judith A. McKenzie, Professor of Earth System Sciences at ETH Zurich from 1996 to 2007, passed away on 11 August 2023.
In Memoriam: Terry Seward
Terry M. Seward, Professor of Geochemistry at ETH Zurich from 1990 to 2006 passed away on 24 December 2022.
In Memoriam: Peter Signer
Peter Signer, Professor of Geo- and Cosmochronology at ETH Zurich from 1965 to 1994 passed away on 10 December 2021.
In Memoriam: Philip Allen
Philip Allen, Professor of Physical Sedimentary Systems at ETH Zurich from 2001 to 2005 passed away on 9 March 2021.
In Memoriam: John Ramsay
Professor John Ramsay, who contributed so much to field-based structural geology research and teaching over his varied and intense career, died on 12 January 2021, only a few months short of his 90th birthday.