معرفی
Johan O. A. Robertsson serves as Full Professor of Applied Geophysics and Head of the Exploration and Environmental Geophysics (EEG) Group within ETH Zurich's Department of Earth Sciences, where he leads research in wave propagation physics and seismic data innovation since 2012. His work bridges terrestrial exploration, environmental monitoring, and planetary science applications.
Robertsson earned his MSc in Engineering Physics from Uppsala University (1991) and PhD in Geophysics from Rice University (1994), followed by postdoctoral research at ETH Zurich and 15 years of R&D leadership at Schlumberger, where his work initiated the company's largest-ever R&D project in marine seismic sampling.
His research centers on wave propagation in complex media, with recent breakthroughs in distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) for environmental hazard monitoring and planetary seismology. Current projects include lunar subsurface imaging (Lunarleaper), Mars regolith analysis via InSight mission data, and immersive wave experimentation ('The Matrix'). He pioneered methods for seismic divergence estimation using coiled fiber DAS and six-component polarization analysis.
Analysis of his 2020-2025 publications reveals three dominant trends: (1) planetary geophysics applications (35% of output, focusing on Mars/InSight and lunar seismic characterization), (2) advanced DAS techniques for near-surface monitoring (30%, including landslide tracking in the Alps), and (3) gravitational wave simulation for LISA mission support (15%). His work consistently integrates field data with laboratory-scale immersive wave experiments.
His scientific recognition includes:
- EAGE Conrad Schlumberger Award (2018) for transformative contributions to exploration geophysics
- ERC Advanced Grant MATRIX (2017) for immersive wave experimentation
- Eni Award 'New Frontiers in Hydrocarbons' (2015)
- Multiple best paper prizes at WesternGeco conferences (2004-2009)
Robertsson advises graduate students in the EEG Group while directing collaborations with space agencies on planetary missions and industry partners on marine seismic acquisition. His current ERC-funded MATRIX project develops laboratory-scale 'digital twins' for wave propagation. The EEG Group maintains active field deployments including a 1,000-node array monitoring Alpine slope instabilities and lunar analog sites.
The group operates the Centre for Immersive Wave Experimentation, featuring controlled acoustic environments for validating seismic methods at laboratory scale. Recent work integrates phononic metamaterials for passive speech classification and develops coiled-fiber DAS systems for enhanced near-surface characterization in environmental applications.
