GFZ German research centre for geo sciences

Prof. Dr. Fabrice Cotton

Head
Prof. Dr. Fabrice Cotton
Building A 70, Room 216 (Büro)
Telegrafenberg
14473 Potsdam

Function and Responsibilities:

  • Professor of seismology, Institute of Geosciences, University of Potsdam (Germany)  
  • Topic spoke-person of the Helmholtz Association and GFZ Director in charge of the topic “Living on a restless Earth: towards forecasting geohazards”
  • Head of the GFZ  research section “Seismic Hazard and Risk Dynamics“
Full vitea on https://nextcloud.gfz-potsdam.de/s/9RqX2B6J8LdmYg8

Research Interests:

  • Earthquake Source analysis (kinematic inversions, slow silent earthquakes, stress drop analysis)
  • Engineering Seismology  (ground-motion models, focus on low seismicity area)
  • Probabilistic seismic hazard assessment 
  • Site specific and high consequences low probabilities hazard assessment (e.g. critical facilities) 
  • Development of new methods (e.g. Data-mining) to explore strong-motions data  and evaluate epistemic uncertainties

PhD Supervision or co-supervision of : Zahra Zali, Reza Dokht Dolatabadi Esfahani, Juan Camilo  Gomez-Zapata, Jose Bayona, Sebastian von Specht, Sreeram Reddy Kotha, Jesus Pina Valdes, Boumediène Derras, Yen Shin Chen, Hugo Yepes, Jean Letort, Aurore Laurendeau, Mathilde Radiguet,  Guillaume Bacques, Mathieu Causse, Sebastien Hok, Mendy Bengoudou, Guillaume Pousse, Stéphane Drouet, Fethi Semmane, Sylvette Bonnefoy Claudet, Tsui Yu Emmy Chang, Philippe Lussou, Bruno Hernandez

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9242-3996

Career:

  • 2001-2014 Full Professor, Geophysics, University of Grenoble-I (Joseph Fourier)
  • 2007-2010 Director of the Grenoble Geophysics laboratory (LGIT, CNRS-University Joseph Fourier-IRD)
  • 2004-2014 Uni. Grenoble Coordinator of the Erasmus Mundus Master Program "Master of Earthquake Engineering and Engineering Seismology"
  • 2003-2007 Deputy-Director of the Grenoble Geophysics laboratory (LGIT, CNRS-University Joseph Fourier-IRD)
  • 1996-2001 Researcher, seismic hazard team of IRSN (Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, Fontenay aux Roses, France). Head of the team from 1999 to 2001
  • 1992-1995 Research Assistant (“Assistant Normalien Doctorant”), Grenoble University

Education:

  • 2001 Habilitation – University Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France 
  • 1995 Ph.D. Seismology – University Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France 
  • 1988-1992  Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon and Lyon University 

Projects:

  • Coordination of the Geo-Inquire project (Geosphere INfrastructures for QUestions into Integrated Research,  HORIZON-INFRA, 51 Institutions involved)
  • ITN Urbasis (2019-2022, Urban seismology)
  • SERA (2017-2020, Seismology and Earthquake Engineering Research Infrastructure Alliance for Europe)
  • EPOS-IP (2016-2019, European Plate Observatory System Implementation Phase)
  • Nat-Risk-Change (2015-2022, Natural Hazards and Risks in a Changing World)
  • STREST (FP7, 2013-2016, Towards stress tests for critical infrastructures against natural hazards)

Research Boards and Committees:

  • Chair of EFEHR (European Facilties for Earthquake Hazard and Risk) 2019-2023
  • ERC evaluation panel member 2020, 2022
  • Associate Editor of  BSSA (Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America) 2016-2021
  • Chair of the GEM (Global Earthquake Model foundation) Science Board from 2015 to 2018

Awards:

  • Berlin Falling Walls Science Summit invited speaker (2023)
  • Gauss lecture (EGU 2017)
  • Helmholtz Association Recruitment Initiative Professorship (2014)
  • Kyoto University invited Professor (2013)
  • University Grenoble-I medal (2008)
  • Institut Universitaire de France junior fellow (2006)
  •  Invited lectures (selection): Annual Conference of the German Association for Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics (Kiel, 2023), Seismological Society of America (Vancouver, 2023),  4th International Forum on the Latest Development of Resilient City (Tianjin, 2023), Université of Grenoble (2023),  IASPEI/IAEE International Symposium: the effects of surface geology on seismic motion (Kyoto, 2021), International Conference on Seismic Design of Industrial Facilities (Aachen, 2021), International Conference in Commemoration of Anniversary of the Chi-Chi Earthquake (Taipei, 2019)

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