Catalina Pino-Rivas

Hello! My name is Catalina, and I am a PhD student in Earth Sciences at Simon Fraser University (SFU) in Vancouver, Canada. I feel super lucky to have had the opportunity to work on my PhD research in Zurich, Switzerland, funded by the PermaIntern program and hosted by ETH Zurich. This internship was carried out between November and December 2025.

My main research focus is understanding what happens in mountain regions when an earthquake occurs, and specifically the role that permafrost degradation may play as a controlling factor in slope instability during seismic shaking. For this purpose, I am studying the Kluane Lake area in southwestern Yukon, Canada.

During my stay, I worked with the Engineering Geology group at ETH Zurich under the supervision of Dr. Jordan Aaron, with the goal of deepening my understanding of permafrost warming/thawing in mountain regions. Working with this group was really great, as they have extensive experience studying rock slope failures, landslides, geohazards, and deglaciation processes, especially in the Alps, which is a natural laboratory where much of the foundational research related to my topic has been developed.

Throughout the internship, I specifically focused on understanding the processes and mechanisms behind rock slope failure in permafrost bedrock and on modeling these processes using 3DEC, a distinct element code software. In practice, this represents a set of challenges, as this is still a very incipient—but highly relevant—research topic. Advancing our understanding in this field is important to better identifying the contributing factors behind rock falls, rock slides, and rock avalanches under permafrost conditions in a warming climate. I believe that any progress made in this area is especially valuable for regions like the Yukon, where I am currently working, as it is a highly seismic area that deserves particular attention due to the potential for earthquake-triggered slope failures in permafrost terrain.

My interest in cold and mountain environments began at a very young age. I studied rock glaciers and permafrost as part of my Bachelor’s thesis in Chile, my home country, where I obtained my professional degree as a geologist. Through this work, I became familiar with permafrost processes in dry mountain environments, which later opened several opportunities for professional development, including work in remote areas. I then worked for five years at BGC Engineering in Chile, a Canadian geotechnical consulting company, where I studied permafrost and glaciers across multiple projects along the Andes. All these experiences provided the foundation and motivation to pursue a PhD at SFU, allowing me to approach these processes from a more engineering-oriented perspective. I have been incredibly happy discovering this remarkable part of Canada—flying in helicopters, hiking for hours to study landslides and rock mechanics, and connecting with inspiring people, especially members of the Kluane and Champagne and Aishihik First Nations.

I am even more grateful for the opportunity to have completed this internship at ETH Zurich. Although it felt a bit intimidating at first—given that ETH is one of the world’s most prestigious institutions—from day one my supervisor and the entire team made me feel warmly welcomed. I always felt supported and encouraged to freely develop my scientific curiosity. I truly enjoyed being fully integrated into the research group by attending meetings, openly exchanging ideas with colleagues, and participating in a wide range of social activities. Despite the short duration of my stay, I feel that I made significant progress both in my understanding of the state of the art of my research topic and in learning advanced modeling tools. I was deeply inspired by the scientific level of the institution, as well as by the professionalism of professors, assistants, postdocs, and fellow PhD students. This experience was fundamental in shaping my scientific trajectory and in motivating me to return to Switzerland in the future to continue developing professionally.

In summary, I consider this internship to have been an incredibly enriching experience and a true springboard toward future projects I hope to pursue. It provided me with valuable professional tools as well as strengthened my problem-solving skills when facing complex scientific questions. I would strongly recommend this experience to any student who wishes to explore a scientific world full of possibilities and unanswered questions, connect with people from around the globe, and apply science back in their regions of origin. I would like to once again express my sincere gratitude to Jordan Aaron and his team for their support throughout my stay in Switzerland.