News archive

Weathered rock layers beneath the soil influence how groundwater moves during storms. The findings help explain when and where shallow landslides occur and could improve hazard prediction.

Volcanoes are the surface expression of magmas that begin their journey at about 200 km depth. How these deep magmas form has now been investigated by a team of researchers from ETH Zurich and the Carnegie Institution for Science.

We are pleased to welcome three outstanding early-career researchers, recipients of the 2026 Judith McKenzie Visiting Early Career Researcher Fellowship. Their diverse projects in geoscience will further enrich our research environment.

A new study identifies the key environmental factors that control how the mineral pyrite forms and is buried in ocean sediments, revealing its outsized role in regulating Earth’s oxygen and climate.

A re-evaluation of georesources data shows that there are indications of occurrences of numerous critical raw materials such as copper, rare earths elements and lithium in Switzerland. Could their exploration mining be worthwhile?

Hans P. Rieber, Professor of Palaeozoology at the University of Zurich (1976–2001) and at ETH Zurich (1976–1999), passed away on 4 November 2025.

If humanity is the galaxy's only technological civilisation, its survival becomes a cosmic responsibility. Researchers propose Future Dynamics, a new field to align civilisation with Earth's long-term planetary systems.

ETH Zurich researchers have discovered that slabs of ancient ocean floor lie buried near Earth's core, offering a ground-breaking explanation for mysterious, slow-moving regions deep inside our planet.

How ancient rifting reshaped the island's landscape and helped forge one of Earth's richest biodiversity hotspots.