Prof. em. Dr. Gretchen Bernasconi-Green

Prof. em. Dr.  Gretchen Bernasconi-Green

Prof. em. Dr. Gretchen Bernasconi-Green

Retired Adjunct Professor at the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences

Additional information

Research area

Gretchen Früh-Green is involved in international, interdisciplinary research of ancient and modern ridge systems to understand seafloor hydrothermal systems, how they form, and the life that they support.

Her research focuses on the interaction between fluids and the oceanic lithosphere and the geological, geochemical and biological consequences of serpentinization processes. Her studies combine petrology with stable isotope geochemistry, using oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur and boron isotopes in carbonates, organic matter, silicate rocks and water as tracers of element cycles and mass transfer between geochemical reservoirs in ophiolites and in modern ocean basins.

Gretchen Früh-Green was given the title of Professor at the Department of Earth Sciences in 2010. She is leading research in Marine Geology and Geochemistry at the Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology. She studied Geology at the University of California in Santa Barbara, completing a BA in 1979. She completed a diploma in Petrology at the University of Zürich in 1982 and her PhD in 1987 at the ETH Zürich. After many years as a teaching and research scientist in petrology and stable isotope geochemistry at the Department of Earth Sciences, she obtained her habilitation at the ETH in 2004.

Gretchen Früh-Green has participated on numerous oceanographic expeditions. She has been extensively involved in many phases of ocean drilling programs and is currently active in the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) as lead PI and Co-Chief scientist. She is strongly committed to serving the scientific drilling community and has been involved in IODP planning and evaluation committees. She has served as Swiss national delegate since 2011 and as Chair of the Science Support and Advisory Committee of the European Consortium of Ocean Research (ESSAC) and host to the ESSAC Office (2014-2016).

Gretchen Früh-Green is married and mother of two children and is strongly dedicated to promoting and mentoring women in Earth Sciences.