Institute of Geological Sciences

Team

PD Dr. Paul Wersin

Senior Lecturer

Phone: +41 31 684 45 63
Phone2: +41 31 684 87 61 (Sekretariat)
E-Mail: paul.wersin@unibe.ch
Office: 213
Postal Address: Institut für Geologie
Baltzerstrasse 1+3
3012 Bern
Schweiz
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/paul-wersin-874708199/

Curriculum

2016 – present	Privatdozent and Scientific Staff, Rock-Water Interaction Group, Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern
2015	Habilitation in Aqueous Geochemistry, University of Bern, Switzerland
2012 – 2015	Scientific Staff, Rock-Water Interaction Group, Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern
2007 – 2011	Senior, "Fachbereichsleiter", Section Environment, Gruner Ltd., Basel (CH)
1999 – 2007	Project Manager, National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste (Nagra), Wettingen (CH)
1998 – 1999	Project Manager, Geotest AG, Zurich (CH)
1994 – 1998	Scientific Collaborator, Amt für Gewässerschutz und Abfallwirtschaft des Kantons Bern (CH)
1992 – 1994	Project Manager, MBT Environmental, Zurich (CH) and Barcelona (E)
1991 – 1992	Postdoctoral Fellow, Dept. of Geology and Dept. Civil Engineering, Stanford University (USA)
1990 – 1991	Postodoctoral Fellow, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG), Dübendorf (CH)
1990	Doctoral degree in Natural Sciences (Dr. sc.nat.), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), awarded with the Otto-Jaag-Gewässerschutzpreis 1990
1986 – 1990	Doctoral research, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG), Dübendorf (CH)
1985 – 1986	Assistant, Institute of Mineralogy and Petrology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich
1985	Diploma in Natural Sciences (sc. nat.), Institute of Mineralogy and Petrology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich

Research

Research Interests

Geochemistry of clay systems (bentonite, clayrocks)
Diffusion in clay materials
Interfaces between clays and metals (Fe, Cu, Ti)
Reactive transport modelling in clay environments
Contaminants in groundwaters and surface waters

My ambition is to pursue – whenever possible – a holistic approach based on the methodological triad lab–field–modelling. The conceptual methodology for studying mineral-water processes in “real” systems is sketched out in the figure below. It shows the different ingredients grouped as tools (e.g. analytical methods, mathematical codes) and data (e.g. experimental data from lab or field experiments, thermodynamic / kinetic data). Such a comprehensive approach is only possible in a skilled multidisciplinary team. I collaborate with many colleagues in Switzerland and abroad, specialised on different topics.

Most of my research has an applied focus centred on geological disposal of radioactive waste. Specific areas are:

Geochemistry in the engineered barrier system (EBS) of high-level waste repositories
Diffusion processes in the EBS
Geochemistry and diffusion in argillaceous host rocks
Steel corrosion and its impact on the bentonite barrier
Transport of radionuclides in the EBS and host rock
Coupled thermal-hydro-mechanical-chemical processes in the EBS

Research group Rock-Water Interaction

Publications

Publication	Year	Type