Why fiñv
fiñv was born at the intersection of geology, Earth observation, geotechnical engineering and spatial data analysis, to better understand risks related to ground motion.
fiñv builds on my background as a geologist, volcanology researcher and geospatial data scientist. After several years in international research and later working on clay shrink–swell damage assessment, I started in 2022 to explore how InSAR could improve the understanding of slow ground motion. That work gradually evolved into fiñv.
A starting point
I grew up in a small village on the Breton coast, in a working-class family. That starting point shaped a way of looking at the world: through concrete realities, material constraints and real territories rather than abstractions.
My path into science, research and international work was built through public education, study, work, encounters and a few decisive turns. That trajectory still shapes my relationship to science: measuring and modelling should help better qualify situations, risks and possible decisions.
From geology to ground dynamics
My scientific path began with geology and volcanology: observing forms, structures, rocks and landscapes, then relating them to physical processes such as deformation, fracturing or magma propagation.
That training gave me a method: start from the field, accept heterogeneity, reason across scales, and connect incomplete observations, indirect data and physical models.
Less spectacular risks, very concrete impacts
After several years in academic research, my work moved toward applied geoscience. I worked as a geotechnical engineer on damage cases linked to clay shrink–swell, within the French CatNat drought recognition framework.
That experience deeply changed how I look at risk. Behind maps, hazard classes and technical reports, there are cracked houses, exhausted residents, conflicting assessments and decisions that are often difficult to understand.
Clay shrink–swell is a slow, heterogeneous process linked to soils, climate, vegetation, buildings and land use. It cannot be reduced to a colour on a map.
Why Earth observation
Satellites do not replace fieldwork, geotechnical engineering or local expertise. But they provide a unique capability: observing slow, repeated and spatially continuous deformation over long periods.
InSAR can measure ground motion at millimetric scale from satellite radar images. It is not a magic wand: signals are noisy, acquisition geometries are complex and time series must be interpreted carefully.
Used properly, this information can document dynamics invisible to the naked eye: seasonality, amplitude, recurrence, drought response, relationships with soil moisture, and differences between urban, geological or vegetated contexts.
What fiñv builds
Since 2022, I have been developing this work to explore how InSAR can document slow ground deformation associated with clay shrink–swell by combining satellite observations with geological, hydrological, climatic and territorial data.
fiñv aims to transform heterogeneous data into readable territorial indicators: trends, seasonal amplitudes, signal quality, hydrological correlations, spatial coherence and comparisons across sources and periods.
The goal is not to add yet another map to an already saturated GIS landscape. The goal is to produce analyses that help understand, prioritise and decide.
Applications include clay shrink–swell, urban deformation, subsidence, slow instabilities and the territorial effects of climate change on soils, buildings and infrastructure.
A requirement
An analysis only has value if its assumptions, limits and uncertainties can be explained. This is what guides fiñv: turning complex data into elements of understanding, without hiding uncertainties or selling fragile certainties.
Discuss a project
If you work on a territory, a building portfolio, an infrastructure network or a dataset related to ground motion, I offer a first 30-minute call to understand the need, identify available data and assess what Earth observation can bring.