About
Dr. Vanille Ritz is a postdoctoral researcher at the Swiss Seismological Service (SED), ETH Zurich, with a split position between the Modelling Group and the GeoBest team. Her expertise lies in developing hydro-geomechanical and statistical models to understand and forecast induced seismicity in geothermal systems. She focuses on projects like GeoBest, which provides seismological support for Swiss geothermal energy initiatives, and has been a key contact for cantons Vaud, Jura, and Geneva. She holds a Ph.D. from ETH Zurich (2023) and a M.Sc. in Seismology from Université de Strasbourg (2017).
Research interests include induced seismicity mitigation, geothermal reservoir engineering, and real-time seismic monitoring. Her work integrates data-driven approaches with physics-based models to optimize energy production while minimizing seismic risks. Notable contributions include the 'Transient Evolution of Earthquake Size Distributions' study (2022), recognized with the SSA Student Award.
- Education:
- Ph.D., ETH Zurich (2018–2023): Modelling Induced Seismicity in Deep Geothermal Systems
- M.Sc., Université de Strasbourg (2015–2017): Seismology
- Geophysical Engineering, Ecole et Observatoire des Sciences de la Terre (2014–2017)
Professional activities include leadership in projects like DEEP (2021–2024), COSEISMIQ (2018–2021), and DESTRESS (2017–2018), advancing de-risking strategies for geothermal energy. Awards include the 2023 SSA Student Presentation Award for seismic risk indicator research.
Her work bridges geoscience and engineering, emphasizing collaboration with cantonal governments and energy stakeholders to ensure sustainable geothermal development. Current efforts focus on synthetic benchmark datasets and real-time forecasting tools for induced seismicity management.
