Gert Zöller

Gert Zöller is an Associate Professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of Potsdam, specializing in statistical seismology and mathematical modeling of earthquake processes. He has held this position since 2018, following a period from 2008-2018 as a Research Associate and Lecturer at the Institute of Mathematics at the University of Potsdam. His research focuses on statistical and physical models for earthquakes and other natural disasters, seismic hazard assessment, and extreme value statistics.

Dr. Zöller earned his Diploma in Physics from Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University Bonn in 1995, his Doctorate (Dr. rer. nat.) from the University of Potsdam in 1999, and completed his Habilitation (Dr. rer. nat. habil.) in 2006. His academic journey included visiting scholar positions at the University of Southern California and the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2005. He has been actively involved in several major research initiatives including the DFG Collaborative Research Center 1294 (Data Assimilation) since 2017 and the DFG Graduate School NatRiskChange (Natural hazards and risks in a changing world) from 2015-2024.

His research centers on developing sophisticated statistical models for earthquake forecasting, particularly focusing on the Groningen gas field in the Netherlands where induced seismicity has been a significant concern. Dr. Zöller's work integrates physics-based models with statistical approaches to improve seismic hazard assessment, with recent publications exploring Bayesian methods, Gaussian process modeling, and spatio-temporal analysis of earthquake sequences. His publications span top journals including Journal of Geophysical Research, Geophysical Journal International, and Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America.

Dr. Zöller serves as a reviewer for numerous prestigious scientific journals including Science, Geophysical Research Letters, and Journal of Geophysical Research. He was Associate Editor of Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics from 2006-2014 and served as Scientific Officer for 'Earthquake Hazards' in the European Geosciences Union from 2010-2014. His professional memberships include the Seismological Society of America, American Geophysical Union, and European Geosciences Union.

Currently, Dr. Zöller teaches 'Mathematics II for Economists' and serves on the Mathematics Examination Board at the University of Potsdam. His ongoing research continues to contribute significantly to the field of statistical seismology and earthquake hazard assessment, with publications extending into 2025.