Student Assistant for the Bedretto Underground Laboratory for Geosciences and Geoenergies (Male/Female)

Student Assistant for the Bedretto Underground Laboratory for Geosciences and Geoenergies

10%-30%, Zurich, fixed-term

The BedrettoLab (Bedretto Underground Laboratory for Geosciences and Geoenergies) is an innovative ETH Zurich research facility located in a 5.2-km tunnel in the Bedretto Valley (TI). At the forefront of experimental geosciences, it provides ideal conditions for cutting-edge research in earthquake physics, seismic instrumentation, geothermal energy, and fault-zone processes. Its dense multi-scale sensor network, including borehole acoustic emission sensors, standard seismometers, and DAS, operates from 1,000 to 200,000 samples per second, capturing earthquakes down to magnitude -5 at meter-scale distances. All data is acquired and processed through SeisComP. The BedrettoLab team comprises about 30 scientists from diverse disciplines and collaborates with research institutions across Switzerland, Europe, and the USA.

Job Description

The BedrettoLab seismology team is seeking a student assistant—**from ETHZ or UZH**—preferably in their 2nd or final undergraduate year in Earth Sciences with strong IT/programming skills, or in Computer Science/Physics with an interest in geoscience and sensors. You will support sensor-noise analysis, calibration workflows, and seismic coverage modeling at BedrettoLab.

Your responsibilities will include the following tasks:

• Data curation, conversion, inventory, and preprocessing from huddle tests, including data recorded on AE sensors, accelerometers, geophones, and DAS systems.
• Noise and waveform analysis for sensor characterization, including PSD/PPSD computation, figure preparation, and evaluation of coupling conditions (cemented vs clamped installations).
• Supporting simplified sensor calibration workflows inspired by our ongoing high-frequency research by aligning overlapping PSDs between calibrated sensors and AE sensors to derive empirical sensitivity curves.
• Preparing noise and event-based power spectral density profiles across a broad frequency band and evaluating differences due to distance, magnitude, and installation conditions.
• Supporting seismic monitoring coverage modeling, integrating these noise profiles and simple earthquake-amplitude-distance models to assess detection capability and improve coverage maps.
• Data and metadata organization, ensuring processed datasets follow BedrettoLab standards.
• Optional participation in tunnel activities, including assisting with sensor installation, small test experiments, or sampling.

There is potential for the work to extend into a Bachelor thesis or evolve into a Master thesis on sensor calibration, high-frequency seismicity, or data-processing pipelines.

Profile

You can start as soon as possible. **You must be enrolled at ETHZ or Uni Zurich** and be willing to work an average of 15 hours per week during the semester. More hours can be worked during semester breaks (up to 40 hours possible). We offer flexible working hours to accommodate your study obligations while coordinating with the team for task completion. Ideally, we are looking for individuals who can remain employed as a student assistant for at least one year, and possibly longer.

Required Skills:

• Basic programming experience (Python, Julia, or similar).
• Interest in seismic, acoustic, or sensor data.
• Ability to work with large datasets and structured file systems.
• Good documentation and organizational skills.
• Motivation to work in an interdisciplinary geoscience environment.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with Python scientific libraries (NumPy, SciPy, ObsPy, Matplotlib).
• Familiarity with time-series processing, signal processing, or noise analysis.
• Background in Earth Sciences, physics of waves, rock mechanics, or instrumentation.
• Experience with Linux, Git, or workflows for handling large datasets.
• Interest in high-frequency seismicity, AE sensors, or DAS.
• Willingness to occasionally work in the tunnel at the BedrettoLab.

Workplace

Your job will be part of ETH Zurich, where you contribute to positive societal changes while furthering your professional development.

We Offer

• Meaningful work that impacts societal advancement.
• Numerous benefits, including public transport season tickets, car-sharing options, and a wide range of sports offered by ASVZ, along with childcare and attractive pension benefits.
• An interdisciplinary team with excellent support and a friendly learning environment.
• Standard ETH student RA salary.

We Value Diversity and Sustainability

ETH Zurich promotes an inclusive culture. We advocate for equality of opportunity, value diversity, and nurture a working and learning environment where the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected. Sustainability is a core value for us, and we continually strive towards a climate-neutral future.

Curious? So Are We.

We look forward to receiving your online application using the form below. Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.

Further Information

Questions regarding the position should be directed to Frederick Massin at fmassin@ethz.ch.

About ETH Zürich

ETH Zurich is one of the world's leading universities specializing in science and technology. Renowned for excellent education and cutting-edge fundamental research, we also focus on the direct transfer of new knowledge into society. Our university, home to over 30,000 individuals from more than 120 countries, fosters independent thinking and excellence. Positioned in the heart of Europe, we collaboratively develop solutions for today's and tomorrow's global challenges.