About the group
The Geomitigation of Greenhouse Gases (GGG) group, led by Prof. Nicole Fernandez-Franzan, aims to better understand low temperature geochemical processes and assess how they may be harnessed for carbon mitigation.
GGG investigates how low-temperature water-rock interactions at the Earth’s (near)surface regulate elemental cycling, carbon dynamics, and the evolution of geochemical systems across natural and engineered environments. Our mission is to establish process-based constraints on geomitigation strategies by determining when and where (bio)geochemical reactions at fluid-solid interfaces act as carbon sinks, sources, or transient buffers, and under what conditions these reactions can be modified, coupled, or amplified to enhance carbon drawdown. Our approach involves a wide array of geochemical tracers and interdisciplinary tools combined with novel experimental facilities, numerical modeling, and field studies.
The offices and laboratories of the GGG group are located on ETH Zurich’s Zentrum campus. We are part of the Geological Institute within the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and are currently affiliated with the Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life
For more information about the group, please contact Prof. Nicole Fernandez-Franzan.
Our mission
A central goal of the group is to establish process-based constraints on geomitigation strategies by determining when and where (bio)geochemical reactions at fluid-solid interfaces act as carbon sinks, sources, or transient buffers, and under what conditions these reactions can be modified, coupled, or amplified to enhance carbon drawdown. To address these questions, we combine isotopic and trace element tracers with laboratory experiments, numerical modelling, and field observations. By integrating Critical Zone science, subsurface geochemistry, and planetary near-surface systems, the group seeks to develop a coherent framework for water-rock interactions relevant to both natural carbon cycling and geomitigation.
Group leader
Nicole Fernandez-Franzan
Nicole M. Fernandez-Franzan joined ETH Zurich in December 2025 at a
Tenure Track Assistant Professor of Geomitigation of Greenhouse Gases at
the Geological Institute within the Department of Earth and Planetary
Sciences.
Postdocs
Yi Hou
Yi Hou is a postdoctoral researcher in the Geomitigation of Greenhouse Gases group. She is broadly interested in the biogeochemical cycling of carbon and silicon at the Earth surface and has worked on a diverse range of topics and environments, from early diagenesis in the abyssal North Pacific to silicate weathering in the Congo Basin. She holds a B.Sc. from University of Southern California and a Ph.D. from Rice University. Yi’s current research focuses on the formation and alteration of colloids and amorphous minerals in the Critical Zone. Outside the lab, she enjoys coffee, movies, and long walks.
Sebastian Munoz
Sebastian studies rock water interactions and the influence they have on Earth's near surface elemental cycles. He is particularly interested in how glaciers modify water quality and carbon cycling and how this will change with glacier retreat. He utilizes the trace metal chemistry of rivers, sediments, and rocks combined with hydrologic and geospatial analysis to quantify changes to the global carbon cycle. He has a PhD and masters in Earth Environment and Planetary Sciences from Brown University, and a B.S in Hydrogeology and a B.A. in liberal arts from the University of Texas at Austin. He spends most of his free time whitewater kayaking, listening to music, and hanging out with friends.
Doctoral students
Amanda Peña Echeverria
Amanda Peña Echeverria is a PhD student at ETH Zurich, focusing her research on carbon dynamics in groundwater and the associated (bio)geochemical processes that drive its long-term evolution. She holds a BSc and MSc in Geology from the Universidad de Chile, where she studied CO2 consumption rates in active volcanic basins. Prior to starting her PhD, she spent two years as a researcher at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile investigating water and energy fluxes in the Chilean Altiplano. Outside the lab, she enjoys spending time in nature, climbing, camping, and discovering good coffee shops around the city.
Administrative staff
Julee Noguchi
Julee Noguchi is the administrative assistant for the group. While the researchers focus on answering scientific questions, she helps make sure everything else falls into place. From coordinating logistics to keeping daily operations running smoothly, she enjoys supporting the people and processes that keep the group moving forward.
Outside the office, you'll usually find her planning her next trip or searching for her next great meal. She loves exploring different parts of the world, experiencing new cultures, and discovering local food along the way.
Hunter Jamison
Hunter Jamison is the lab manager for the Geomitigation of Greenhouse Gasses research group. His role focuses on keeping the lab operational and assisting with research projects while conducting his own projects. His research focuses on the dynamics of water-rock interactions, looking at the role of groundwater residence times with ongoing chemical reactions to better understand its control on stream waters. Hunter holds a BA in Environmental Earth Science from UC Berkeley, and a MSc in Geological Sciences from Cornell University. He has vast field and lab experience, collecting water, tree, and gas samples from environments ranging from the alpine in the Sierra Nevada, coastal California, the Finger Lakes in New York, and seasonal briny lakes in Western Australia. When not in the lab or field, Hunter is usually trail running, paddle boarding, climbing, or attempting to catch up on a show that he’s years behind on watching.