A man who pushes boundaries

How is the Earth¡¯s sub-surface structured? What are its material properties and how can we map them? If you are looking for answers to questions like these, Johan Robertsson is the person to ask. The Swedish scientist leads the Exploration and Environmental Geophysics (EEG) Group at the Institute of Geophysics at ETH Zurich. ¡°Of course you can drill holes in order to examine the Earth¡¯s sub-surface,¡± he says. ¡°But that quickly becomes very expensive and laborious, and is sometimes simply impossible.¡± This is where geophysics comes in: Robertsson¡¯s specialist area is in the analysis of seismic waves, which are generated not only by earthquakes but can also, for example, be triggered deliberately by man on the Earth¡¯s surface.

¡°We analyse how these waves are reflected in the Earth,¡± Robertsson explains. ¡°With the data that we gather, we can generate images that show not only the structure of the Earth¡¯s sub-surface but also its material composition.¡± He speaks clearly and calmly: you can tell this is someone who is used to making complex material understandable. ¡°Yes, I get the odd question from time to time,¡± says the 47-year-old, a smile playing on his open face.

Immersed in ambitious project

Currently, he and his colleagues are immersed in work on a new laboratory. ¡°It¡¯s a very ambitious project,¡± he emphasises. In simple terms, wave propagations should in future be studied here exactly as they propagate inside the Earth. In order to accomplish this, a test target is immersed by hundreds of actuators and sensors, the data is recorded in real time and fed back into the experiment. ¡°The technology is only just far enough along for this kind of undertaking,¡± says Robertsson, then stops and laughs briefly. It almost seems like he can¡¯t quite believe such a huge project is taking shape.

The ¡®exploration¡¯ in the name of Robertsson¡¯s group refers to its application-oriented research in the field of natural resources. Since Switzerland¡¯s decision to phase out nuclear power, geothermal energy has played an ever larger role as a potential energy source and it is a main focus of research at ETH, too. Robertsson himself, though, has been predominantly engaged in hydrocarbons: before his appointment at ETH he worked for 15 years at Schlumberger, the largest oilfield service company in the world. The new method of seismic data acquisition that he was part of developing there is the reason that he is now receiving the Eni ¡®New Frontiers of Hydrocarbons¡¯ Award (see box).

No intention of leaving industry

It is by no means his first professional distinction; a number of trophies are lined up on the shelf in his ETH office. And yet his pride and happiness over the Eni Award are noticeable, as research in an ivory tower was never his thing: ¡°I always wanted to be in industry,¡± he says. That is why he signed up with Schlumberger even after completing his doctorate and a two-year post-doctoral position at ETH; he stayed with the company, in different positions in the UK and Norway, until his permanent appointment at ETH, most recently as its research director of geophysics in Cambridge, UK. ¡°I never had any intention of leaving,¡± he says, a sly smile on his face ¨C as if he had outsmarted himself.

The attraction of ETH, with the prospect of cutting loose as a researcher, was evidently impossible to resist. ¡°In research, you do what interests you; in engineering, you do what you have to do,¡± he says. As well as research, his duties at ETH include teaching ¨C a completely new territory for Robertsson. ¡°Now of course I have to say that I enjoy teaching,¡± he says, ¡°but I really do enjoy doing it. It¡¯s very good to receive input and fresh ideas from students.¡±

Red farmhouse by the lake

He comes across as a man who is quite content with himself, his surroundings, and his job. And yet he has also had to make compromises. One of these was the separation of his family: his 16-year-old daughter Astrid is studying in Stockholm, while his 13-year-old son Joar lives with him in Switzerland. It is primarily his wife Anne who holds the family together, commuting between Sweden and their home in the Zurich Oberland. From here, the outdoor enthusiast enjoys exploring the surrounding mountains on hiking or ski expeditions. ¡°The situation isn¡¯t easy, but that¡¯s the way it is and it¡¯s working fairly well,¡± he says. ¡°My daughter had the opportunity to attend a particular music school, and we felt she should seize that opportunity.¡±

His wife and daughter are not the only connection he has to his old home: whenever possible, the family travels to an old farmhouse by a lake on the border with Norway ¨C built in 1823, red wood fa?ade, a pure Swedish idyll. The restoration of this house using traditional techniques is Robertsson¡¯s great passion. ¡°I¡¯m very interested in history. That¡¯s probably why this house captivates me so much,¡± he says. His second hobby is genealogical research. Robertsson has traced his ancestors back to the 17th century and although there are not many professors in his family, the research gene may have been handed down: the first president of the University of Lund was one of Robertsson¡¯s ancestors.