Maria Catarina Custódio da Paz

Maria Catarina Custódio da Paz is a geophysicist and researcher at the Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal (IPS), serving as a guest lecturer in Geophysical Prospecting. She is a founding member of RESILIENCE R&D unit and actively contributes to the E³UDRES² European university alliance funded by the European Commission. She also holds memberships in the European Geosciences Union and the Portuguese Association of Water Resources.

Her academic credentials include:

• Licenciatura (5-year degree) in Geophysical Sciences from the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, with a one-year internship at the University of Barcelona
• MSc in Environmental Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon
• PhD in Earth Resources from Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon

Dr. Paz specializes in applying geophysical techniques to ecosystem modelling, data sonification, and heritage science. Her field research across the Iberian Peninsula focuses on shallow aquifers, soil salinity assessment using electromagnetic methods, and climate change impacts on permafrost. She integrates tools like ground-penetrating radar (GPR), electromagnetic conductivity imaging, and multi-channel analysis of surface waves (MASW) for environmental analysis.

She secured seed funding from the Portuguese State to establish an applied geophysics startup serving groundwater and environmental projects. Within E³UDRES², she leads research strategy development and open science initiatives. Her RESILIENCE work addresses coastal groundwater ecosystems, soil salinity dynamics, and plastic waste analysis across European alliance countries.