Anna Sommaruga

My main research interests are in regional tectonics of regions such as the Alpine foreland basin and foreland fold-and-thrust-belt, or the Atlantic passive margin (Mid-Norwegian shelf). The approach I use is to correlate geological surface and subsurface data. Surface data include geological and structural maps, if available, combined with fieldwork. Subsurface data consist of well log analyses, velocity models and especially interpretation of seismic data. The combination and integration of the different data makes it possible to obtain the best possible overview of the deep structures of an area. The link between surface and subsurface data or onshore and offshore data allows producing consistent large-scale crustal-scale models.

My current research project (2004, 2005) concerns the Alpine Molasse Basin and addresses fundamental geological issues such as the geometry of the Molasse Basin, the uplift and erosion of Base Tertiary, the Mesozoic detachement horizons, the location and importance of wrench and strike slip faulting, the location and extent of Permo-Carboniferous basins, as well as topography of the top to basement surface. The Molasse Basin project will also provide regional information that may help with new exploration for hydrocarbon, storage of nuclear waste, better understanding of large scale groundwater flux and heat-flow distribution and safety of our main urban and industrial sites, dam lakes and power plants.

Born on the 20 December 1966, in Rom (Italy)
Citizenship: Swiss (Lugano) and Italian.
Married, three children.

Present position

Senior researcher at the Geophysical Institute of Lausanne University. Working on a project of the Swiss Geophysical Commission

External lecturer at the Geosciences Department at University of Fribourg. Courses on seismic interpretation

Education-position

Senior Researcher at the Norges Geologiske Undersøkelse (NGU, Geological Survey of Norway) in Trondheim, Norway. Work on seismic interpretation of Mid-Norway Atlantic shelf, 1999- 2002

Doctorat ès Sciences (PhD degree) at the Université of Neuchâtel (Switzerland) on seismic interpretation and structural geology, 1996

PhD student and teaching assistant at the Geological Institute of the Université of Neuchâtel (Switzerland) 1991-1996

Visiting research fellow at Rice University (Houston, Texas) and collaboration with Prof.A.Bally on seismic interpretation and structural styles, 1993, 1994.

Diploma degree in Geology (equivalent of MSc grade) at the Université of Neuchâtel (Switzerland) on structural geology and low grade metamorphism in the Southern Alps. Title: Etude géologique au Sud de Menaggio et à Arzo (Alpes Méridionales, Italie et Tessin): Aspects de la déformation et de l'anchi-métamorphisme 1991.

Student at the Université de Neuchâtel, Geological Institute of the Sciences Department, 1985-1991.

Bachelor degree in Sciences, Fribourg, Switzerland (Maturité fédérale, type scientifique), 1985.

SOMMARUGA Anna & BØE Reidulv (2002): Geometry and subcrop maps of shallow Jurassic basins along the Mid-Norway coast. Marine and Petroleum Geology 19, 1029-1042.

OSMUNDSEN Per Terje, SOMMARUGA Anna, SKILBREI Jan Reidar & OLESEN Odleiv (2002). Deep structure of the Norwegian Sea area, NE Atlantic margin. Norwegian Journal of Geology, vol. 82/4, 205-224.

SOMMARUGA Anna (1999): Décollement tectonics in the Jura foreland fold and thrust belt. Marine and Petroleum Geology 16, 111-134.

BURKHARD Martin & SOMMARUGA Anna (1998): Evolution of the western Swiss Molasse basin: structural relations with the Alps and the Jura belt.. In: Cenozoic Foreland Basins of Western Europe. Ed. by MASCLE, A, PUIGDEFABREGAS, C., LUTERBACHER, H.P. & FERNANDEZ, M. Geological Society Special Publications No 134, 279-298.

SOMMARUGA Anna (1997): Geology of the central Jura and the Molasse Basin: new insight into an evaporite-based foreland fold and thrust belt. Mém. Soc. neuchâtel. Sci. nat., T. XII, 176 pages, 85 figures, 12 plates, 10 panels.

SOMMARUGA Anna & BURKHARD Martin (1997): Interpretation of seismic lines across the rhomb shaped Val-de-Ruz basin (internal folded Jura). In: Deep structure of the Swiss Alps, results of NRP 20. Ed. by PFIFFNER, A.O., LEHNER, P., HEITZMANN, P., MÜLLER, S. & STECK, A.). Birkhäuser Verlag, Basel, 44-53.

MURALT Reto, VUATAZ François D., SCHÖNBORN Gregor, SOMMARUGA Anna & JENNY Jacques (1997): Intégration des méthodes géologiques, hydrochimiques et géophysiques pour la recherche de nouvelles ressources en eau thermale. Cas d'Yverdon-les-Bains. Eclogae geol. Helv. 90/2, 179-197.

SCHNEGG Pierre-André & SOMMARUGA Anna (1995): Constraining seismic parameters with a controlled-source audio magnetotelluric method (CSAMT). Geophysical J. Int. 122, 152-160.