Researcher in Observational Earthquake Seismology

Earthsciweek; Bergen; On-site; NOK 591,000 - 723,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Bergen invites applications for a two-year temporary researcher position in Observational Earthquake Seismology in the Department of Earth Science. The project SAFE-C and NNSN aim to enhance monitoring, data exchange, and real-time seismicity analysis near critical infrastructure in the North Sea region.

The selected candidate will advance monitoring technologies, prototype real-time seismic monitoring systems, assess data quality, and harmonize methodologies across catalogs to

Qualifications

• PhD in Geophysics or submitted for assessment by the deadline.
• Experience with scientific programming and data handling.
• Experience with earthquake catalogue development/analysis is advantageous.
• Experience with seismic network operations and data acquisition is advantageous.
• Experience with real-time processing systems (SeisComP, Earthworm) is advantageous.
• Experience with AI-related research is advantageous.
• Ability to work independently and in a structured manner and collaborate with others.
• Excellent spoken and written English.

Responsibilities

• Provide an overview of monitoring technologies and assess novel deployments.
• Develop a prototype real-time seismicity monitoring system and support EIDA node operations.
• Assess data quality, completeness, and noise relative to detection levels.
• Develop cutting-edge methodologies for earthquake detection and catalogue improvements.
• Combine methodologies and catalogs to build a common workflow for location and uncertainties.
• Prepare an inventory of velocity models for the North Sea and assess model impact on catalog quality.

Skills

Scientific programming

Earthquake catalogue analysis

Seismic network operations

SeisComP and Earthworm experience

AI-related research

Independent work

English proficiency

Education

PhD in Geophysics

Tools

SeisComP

Earthworm

Job description

Researcher in Observational Earthquake Seismology

University of Bergen

UiB - Knowledge that shapes society

UiB shall be among Europe's leading universities, internationally recognized for high quality in research and education. As a societal institution, we shall contribute to sustainable and democratic development and be an attractive and inclusive place to study and work.

Temporary researcher position

There is a vacancy for a position as researcher in Observational Earthquake Seismology at the Department of Earth Science . The position is for a period of two years and is associated with the projects SAFE-C and NNSN (Norwegian National Seismic Network).

About the project/work tasks:

The SAFE-C (Safeguarding CO 2 storages in the greater North Sea region through advanced monitoring) project aims at improving our understanding of background seismicity in the North Sea area. It also seeks to establish more efficient data exchange and communication system among seismological agencies around the North Sea, with the goal of achieving a comprehensive understanding of variations in fundamental earthquake parameters across different national catalogues. Such coordination is crucial when disseminating information to CCS operators, regulators, and the public in the event of significant earthquakes near critical infrastructure.

SAFE-C will explore novel monitoring technologies and strategies for specific areas of interest to the project’s industry partners, working towards closing any monitoring gaps. Additionally, the project will compare analysis methods and advance and harmonise processing methodologies to develop common workflows and an openly available North Sea event bulletin. Furthermore, the project will develop procedural recommendations for future interfaces between seismic data providers, operators, and authorities, with focus on how to handle significant seismic events or other unexpected situations.

The SAFE-C objectives align with those of the NNSN (Norwegian National Seismic Network) that is co-funding this position. The NNSN operates a network of more than 40 seismic stations across Norway to monitor earthquake activity in the region. The data are used in various research activities to better understand the distribution and nature of earthquakes. The coastal areas of both southern and northern Norway are the most active on the mainland. Study of earthquakes offshore southern Norway is important due to the vicinity to hydrocarbon extraction, and CO 2 injection.

The selected candidate will work towards the following goals:

• Provide an overview of current monitoring technologies; also considering temporary deployments; assessing novel technologies such as nodes and DAS.
• Develop a prototype system for real-time seismicity monitoring using available sensing technologies and communication infrastructure; support operation of the Norwegian EIDA node.
• Assess data quality including data completeness and noise levels in relation to detection levels.
• Develop cutting-edge methodologies for detection of earthquakes, improvement of catalogue completeness, analysis of earthquake parameters and their uncertainties.
• Combining methodologies and catalogues to develop a common workflow for earthquake location and uncertainty assessment.
• Prepare inventory of existing velocity models for the North-Sea area and assess the impact of velocity models resolution on the quality of the seismic catalogues and the source parameter uncertainties.

Qualifications and personal qualities:

• Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree (PhD) in Geophysics with specialization in Earthquake Seismology, or must have submitted his/her doctoral thesis for assessment prior to the application deadline. It is a condition of employment that the PhD has been awarded.
• Experience with scientific programming and data handling is a requirement.
• Experience with the development and analysis of earthquake catalogues is an advantage.
• Experience with the operations of a seismic network (e.g., data acquisition, field work, metadata preparation, processing of earthquake data) is an advantage.
• Experience with running real-time processing system such as SeisComP and Earthworm is an advantage.
• Experience with AI-related research and/or innovation is an advantage.
• Applicants must be able to work independently and in a structured manner and have the ability to cooperate with others.
• Applicants must have excellent skills in oral and written English.

Personal and relational qualities will be emphasized. Research experience, ambitions and potential will also count when evaluating the candidates.

Special requirements for the position:

The University of Bergen is subjected to the regulation for export control system. The regulation will be applied in the processing of the applications.

We can offer:

• A good and professionally stimulating working environment.
• Position as researcher (code 1109 in the basic collective agreement) and a gross annual salary of NOK 657 000 upon appointment. Further increases in salary are made according to length of service in the position. A higher salary may be considered for a particularly well-qualified applicant.
• Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.
• A brief account of the applicant's research interests and motivation for applying for the position.
• A 1-2 page research plan on improvement of methodology for seismic monitoring at local to regional scale in relation to CCS.
• The names and contact information for two referees. One of these should be the main advisor from the PhD programme.
• CV
• Transcripts and diplomas. If you have not yet completed your PhD, please submit a statement from your institution confirming that the doctoral thesis has been submitted.
• List of any works of a scientific nature (publication list with links)

The application and any attachments along with certified translations in English or another Scandinavian language must be uploaded to JobbNorge.

General information:

For further details about the position, please contact: Professor Lars Ottemöller, Department of Earth Science, telephone number: [phone], email: [e-mail]

For HR related questions contact Adviser Mathilde Høgalmen, email:

Diversity is a strength that enables us to solve our tasks even better. UiB therefore needs qualified employees regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, worldview, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and age.

We encourage women to apply. If multiple applicants have approximately equivalent qualifications, the rules pertaining to moderate gender quotas shall apply.

The University of Bergen applies the principle of public access to information when recruiting staff for academic positions.

Information about applicants may be made public even if the applicant has asked not to be named on the list of persons who have applied. The applicant must be notified if the request to be omitted is not met.

We encourage applicants with disabilities, immigrant backgrounds, or gaps in their CV to apply. By indicating such circumstances in your application, you may receive favourable consideration. We ensure that at least one qualified applicant from each of these groups is invited for an interview as part of our commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunity.

Further information about our employment process can be found here .

posted: 27 January 2026