Andreas Fichtner

Prof. Dr. Andreas Fichtner is a Full Professor of Seismology and Wave Physics at ETH Zurich's Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. He leads research in seismic tomography, fiber-optic sensing, and high-performance computing, deploying innovative techniques for imaging Earth's interior. His work includes developing distributed fiber-optic sensing for seismic monitoring in urban areas, volcanoes, and glaciers. Beyond seismology, he explores applications in medical ultrasound imaging and metamaterial design.

Research interests span seismic wave inversion, uncertainty quantification, and fiber-optic technology. Notable achievements include co-founding Mondaic, a spin-off providing full-waveform modeling solutions. Awards include the 2011 Keiiti Aki Award (AGU), 2015 Early Career Scientist Award (IUGG), and 2018 Hoffmann Prize. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Seismological Society of America.

Key contributions include pioneering fiber-optic seismology in ice streams and volcanoes, advancing multi-scale inversion methods, and integrating seismic data for continental-scale tomography. His research bridges geophysics with engineering, medical imaging, and computational science.