Alain PlattnerView profile
Assistant Professor
Alain Plattner is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, where he leads research in planetary and near-surface geophysics. His lab utilizes satellite magnetic data and geophysical instrumentation to study terrestrial planets and subsurface structures. Education: PhD Computational Geophysics, ETH Zürich (2011) MS Mathematics, University of Basel (2006) BS Mathematics, University of Basel (2004) Research Focus: Dr. Plattner investigates planetary interiors using magnetic field data from NASA missions (MESSENGER, MAVEN) to understand geologic history of Mercury, Mars, and Ganymede. His near-surface geophysics work employs electrical resistivity tomography and ground-penetrating radar for archaeological, hydrological, and geological applications, with field sites including Yosemite Valley and Mississippian platform mounds. Publication Trends: His recent articles demonstrate dual expertise in planetary magnetism (87%) and near-surface methodologies (13%), with emerging focus on machine learning applications in geophysics. Core themes include crustal magnetization modeling, Slepian function development, and subsurface visualization techniques. Research Infrastructure: Leads the Plattner Geophysics Group with equipment including: PulseEKKO Ultra GPR system (50/100/200 MHz) ABEM Terrameter LS2 resistivity/IP system Differential GPS High-performance computing resources Advising & Funding: Mentors MS/PhD students in NASA-funded planetary research and teaching-assistantship-supported near-surface projects. Current advisees include Alyssa Mills (planetary) and Yagmur Yilmaz (near-surface), with recent graduate Marcus Pacheco (MS).









