seis

Joe Dellinger discusses his 2022 Distinguished Instructor Short Course, "Forensic data processing."

Are you a geophysicist that processes seismic data, or someone who uses the processed results of that data? If so, you probably think of seismic data as something that arrives on a tape or "from the cloud." However, your data also has other, hidden stories to tell - stories that likely were shredded and lost when you chopped the data into traces and fed it into your algorithms for processing. 

We typically call anything our algorithms are not designed to deal with "noise." Can we make use of such "noise," or at least better understand it? If we understood it, could we do something useful with it (or at least have a better idea of how to suppress it)?

The goal of Joe's course - and this conversation - is to get you thinking more critically about your data. How was it recorded? What is in it? What happened to it on the way from the field to numbers in a file? Joe brings his experience, expertise, wisdom, and humor to this essential conversation on data that will be valuable for every geophysicist. Start the new year with the fresh insights presented in this episode.

RELATED LINKS
* Learn more about Joe's DISC (https://seg.org/Education/Courses/DISC/2022-DISC-joe-dellinger)
* Watch the 2016 DISC: Forensic data processing - Revealing your data's hidden stories (https://seg.org/Education/Lectures/Distinguished-Lectures/2016-DL-Dellinger/Recording)
* Discover SEG on Demand (https://seg.org/Education/SEG-on-Demand)

BIOGRAPHY
Joe Dellinger received a Ph.D. in 1991 from Jon Claerbout’s Stanford Exploration Project. He then did a three-year post-doc at the University of Hawaii before joining Amoco in Tulsa in 1994. He moved to BP in Houston in 1999 and has worked there since. In his career, he has specialized in anisotropy, multi-component algorithms and processing, and most recently investigated the problem of how to record ultra-low frequencies with the goal of enabling inversion algorithms like FWI to resolve complex velocity-model-building challenges in deep-water marine environments.

This last challenge required Dellinger to look closely at “useful information in our seismic data that is normally ignored,” i.e., “forensic data processing.” This has included studying the 2006 “Green Canyon” earthquake, investigating how the Valhall Ocean-bottom-cable array might be used between seismic surveys, and characterizing seismic sources and noise in deep-water ocean-bottom Gulf of Mexico data. In the course of that project, BP created a new vibratory low-frequency marine source, Wolfspar®, which proved to be particularly amenable for these studies because it has a precisely known source signature. These learnings became the basis for his Spring 2016 Distinguished Lecture and will be the core of the follow-up 2022 short course.

SPONSOR
This episode is sponsored by CGG.

For over 90 years, CGG’s positive outlook for the future has driven us to constantly push the boundaries of what’s possible.

This optimism, combined with new thinking and advanced technologies, helps us solve today’s most complex natural resource, environmental and infrastructure challenges.

As this year draws to a close, we’d like to wish SEG and its members every success in 2022.

As always, CGG will be there to help you see things differently. Visit https://www.cgg.com/ to learn more.

CREDITS
Original music by Zach Bridges. 

This episode was hosted, edited, and produced by Andrew Geary at 51 features, LLC. Thank you to the SEG podcast team: Ted Bakamjian, Kathy Gamble, and Ally McGinnis.

You can follow the podcast to hear the latest episodes on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.

Seismic Soundoff

136: The hidden stories data tell with Joe Dellinger

Norm Hyne, lecturer and past chair of The University of Tulsa Geology and Geophysics Department, explores applied geophysics from a non-technical professional’s perspective. 

Listeners, we want to hear from you: Why did you choose geophysics? What do you love about the science and the work you do? Email us at podcast@seg.org or leave a message at country code +1 918-497-4627.

Editor's note: During our exchange, Norm incorrectly referred to Geoscientists Without Borders as Geophysicists Without Borders. To learn more visit http://seg.org/gwb.

Show notes at http://seg.org/podcast.

#8: Geophysics for non-technical professionals

Fritz Foss and Nathaniel Putzig - co-authors of January's The Leading Edge cover article - discuss "3D imaging of Mars’ polar ice caps using orbital radar data."

Fritz Foss has worked in various capacities in the oil & gas exploration business for the past 23 years. He co-founded Unified GeoSystems in 2009. 

Nathaniel Putzig is a Senior Scientist at the Planetary Science Institute. He's worked 14 years with terrestrial active-source seismic data in academia and industry. Presently, he serves as the US/Deputy Team Leader for the Shallow Radar sounder on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Please subscribe to Seismic Soundoff on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you enjoy the show, review us on iTunes – your review helps others find the show.

Full show notes at seg.org/podcast.

#10: Remote sensing on Mars

Dr. Michal Malinowski, special section lead editor for Interpretation and Jyoti Behura, special section lead editor for The Leading Edge join Andrew Geary to discuss full-waveform inversion.

Dr. Michal Malinowski is Associate Professor at the Institute of Geophysics at the Polish Academy of Sciences at Warsaw and head of the Seismic Imaging Team. Jyoti Behura is the Founder & CEO of Seismic Science LLC. 

Full show notes at http://seg.org/podcast.

#12: Full-waveform inversion

Dr. Chris Liner discusses his new book Elements of 3D Seismology, third edition. The book is a thorough introduction to the acquisition, processing, and interpretation of 3D seismic data. All sections have been reviewed and updated for the new edition. Visit http://seg.org/newbooks to purchase today.

Visit http://seg.org/podcast for full show notes.

Buy the book

#13: Chris Liner - Elements of 3D Seismology

Dr. Baishali Roy, special section coordinator for the March 2017 issue of The Leading Edge, joins Andrew Geary to discuss data analytics and machine learning in geophysics. Dr. Roy has worked at ConocoPhillips since 2000. She currently serves on the TLE Editorial Board.

Subscribers can read the full articles in the SEG Digital Library at http://library.seg.org and for those currently not subscribed, abstracts are always free.

Visit http://seg.org/podcast for show notes.

Sponsor
The SEG Wiki is home to hundreds of biographies of key geoscientists, geophysical tutorials, and core content from the science of applied geophysics. Visit http://wiki.seg.org to learn how you can grow the world’s first online, geophysics encyclopedia.

#14: Data analytics and machine learning - Baishali Roy

Seismic Soundoff showcases conversations addressing the challenges of energy, water, and climate. Produced by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG), these episodes celebrate and inspire the geophysicists of today and tomorrow. Three new episodes monthly.