On behalf of all colleagues, we welcome Sebastian Uhlemann as the new Professor for “Environmental Geophysics” at the Department of Geosciences at the University of Bremen. Sebastian Uhlemann´s research focuses on investigating the physical properties and processes of the near-surface subsurface using electrical and electromagnetic methods.

His research is focused on characterizing the subsurface properties and processes controlled by complex interactions between rock, soil, air, water, and living organisms which are crucial for understanding a wide range of earth and environmental phenomena. Research is linked to challenging and emerging issues, such as geohazard assessment and mitigation, sustainable management of water, energy and food resources, and environmental protection. Geophysical sensing, because of its capability to image subsurface processes at high spatial and temporal resolution in a non-invasive way, is playing an important role. We develop near-surface geophysical methods and combine them with in-situ and remote sensing, and environmental monitoring to improve our understanding of subsurface processes and surface-subsurface interactions to improve predictive Earth system modeling. He applies these techniques mostly to terrestrial processes related to permafrost environments of the Arctic, landslides, and groundwater resources.

Sebastian Uhlemann received his PhD in 2018 from ETH Zurich, where he focused on the development of geophysical monitoring for landslides early warning. From 2012 to 2018, he worked as a Research Geophysicist at the British Geological Survey, conducting research into the use of geophysical imaging for landslide, groundwater, and mining problems in Europe, Asia, and Africa. From 2018 to 2022, he worked first as Postdoctoral Fellow and later as Research Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, California, USA. During this time, he focused on imaging hydrological processes related to climate change in Arctic and alpine environments, while also developing novel techniques for optimizing groundwater management. In 2022, Sebastian received the Near Surface Geophysics Early Career Achievement Award from the American Geophysical Union for his work on integrating near surface geophysical methods with hydro-geomechanical data and models to address a range of environmental problems.