The Freddie and Nadine Herman Institute of Earth Sciences

About

Our world is experiencing rapid changes. Natural phenomena such as global warming, extreme weather events, and natural disasters present us with tremendous challenges. The Fredy and Nadine Herrmann Institute of Earth Sciences stands at the forefront of international research, aiming to understand the processes of change occurring in the world, both present and past, and to find solutions to these challenges.

The studies at the Institute integrate research and provide an opportunity for you to acquire comprehensive theoretical knowledge and advanced tools (machine learning, data science) to explore how the world around us works and changes.

The Institute offers innovative laboratories with advanced analytical equipment and comprehensive knowledge for developing groundbreaking research methods. Join us and become part of the leading community of students and researchers in these fields!

 

History

The Institute was founded in the early 1950s as a Department of Geological Studies by Professors Leo Picard and Beno Gross. In 1978, the Institute gained independent status, and today it comprises diverse research groups. In 1994, the Institute made significant efforts to establish the Department of Environmental Sciences, in collaboration with researchers from the Institute of Earth Sciences and other departments at the university. Its interdisciplinary nature attracts students with backgrounds in computer science, physics, mathematics, soil and water, and more.

 

Research

The Institute conducts groundbreaking research on various topics, including:

• Snow timing

• Formation and detection of sinkholes

• Flood warning systems

• Formation processes of deserts and mountains

• Global carbon cycle processes

• Development of hurricanes and floods

• Movement of pollutants in groundwater and the atmosphere

• Formation of raindrops in clouds

• Development of rock fissures prior to volcanic eruption, and more.

The success of the research at the Institute stems from the academic excellence of its esteemed researchers in the international and national arenas and from advanced research infrastructures in material characterization, microscopic analysis, climate change modeling, and more.