We are pleased to welcome Professor Stefan Nielsen from the Department of Earth Sciences at Durham University (UK), a renowned international expert in the field of earthquake physics and fracture mechanics. 

Prof. Nielsen will be a guest at the Department of Geosciences until November 15th as a visiting professor. His stay is made possible through the 'Call for funding internationalization activities related to Teaching at the Department of Geosciences - Visiting Professors' program. During his stay, he will deliver an engaging series of four seminars on earthquake physics from October 27th to 31st, in English. These sessions represent a unique opportunity to delve into cutting-edge topics in the field.

Monday 27 Oct. 2025 - 16:30-18:30 classroom 2G
Part 1. The earthquake engine powerhouse

• Slab pull and push
• Elastic strain energy
• Fundamentals of Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM), stress intensity and fracture energy
• Energy flow in quasi-static cracks and in dynamically propagating ruptures
• A simplified model connecting waves, energy and rupture velocity

Tuesday 28 Oct. 2025 - 14:30-16:30 classroom 2H
Part 2. The earthquake engine dissipation

• Sliding friction at low and high slip rates
• Off fault damage and branching

Wednesday 29 Oct. 2025 - 10:30-12:30 classroom Lab Paleo
Part 3. The earthquake energy balance

• The zero-sum game
• Why only the fault surface? The divergence theorem on symmetrical tensors
• Modelling rupture on complex faults

Friday 31 Oct. 2025 - 14:30-16:30 classroom 2L
Part 4. A player in the earthquake far field

• Analysis of the seismic signal and Fourier transform
• Sound and waves: global seismology and the sonification of earthquakes

The seminars, accessible both in person and via Zoom platform, are primarily aimed at master's and PhD students, but are open to all interested parties.

We warmly invite the academic community and enthusiasts of the subject to participate in this stimulating educational event.

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