The work done by employees of the seismologists of the Swiss Seismological Service (SED) work can be subdivided into three sections:
- Earthquake monitoring, alerting and analysis
- Earthquake hazard and risk assessment
- Earthquake processes
The main focus of seismologists' work is on continuously monitoring seismic activity. This includes analysing data recorded by seismic measuring systems (see the question "How are earthquakes measured?") and immediately alerting the authorities, the media and the general public in the event of an earthquake.
The SED's seismologists also endeavour to ascertain the danger posed by earthquakes in various parts of Switzerland and interpret earthquake data to acquire knowledge about the subsurface or the links between plate boundaries, geology and earthquakes. The main focus of these efforts is on answering the following questions: Why do earthquakes occur in certain areas? Which faults are active? Where and when will earthquakes happen in the future, and how strong will they be?
At the same time, the SED's seismologists support national and international projects. For example, they monitored and analysed seismic activity during the geothermal energy projects in Basel and St. Gallen and set up a temporary seismic network in Bhutan.
In addition to this, many seismologists are involved in teaching by way of giving lectures and mentoring students and PhD candidates at ETH Zurich.
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The SED's employees