geophysics

Listen to a brief introduction of SEG's first podcast - Seismic Soundoff - with highlights from its first twelve episodes. 

* Listen to exclusive interviews with SEG authors, award winners, and geophysics legends.
* Hear the inside stories behind the latest technology and hottest topics of the day.
* Gain behind the scenes access to the projects of Geoscientists Without Borders®.

New episodes monthly. Learn more at https://seg.org/podcast.

#0: Introduction to Seismic Soundoff (podcast trailer)

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.

Seismic Soundoff

#14: Data analytics and machine learning - Baishali Roy

In this episode, host Andrew Geary speaks with biogeophysics pioneer Estella Atekwana. Their conversation highlights Estella's upcoming virtual course called "Biogeophysics: Exploring Earth’s subsurface biosphere using geophysical approaches." Estella explains how geophysical tools helped develop biogeophysics, why microorganisms play such a key role on the Earth, how her research applies to the search for life on other planets and why flexibility is the key to a successful career.

Visit https://seg.org/podcast for the complete show notes and to register for Dr. Atekwana's virtual course.

BIOGRAPHY
Estella A. Atekwana received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Howard University, Washington DC, and a Ph.D. from Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. She is currently the Dean of the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment at the University of Delaware. 

Her research uses geophysical methodologies to investigate geologic processes spanning the near to deep subsurface and from the micron to the lithospheric scale. She is internationally recognized for her pioneering and interdisciplinary work on biogeophysics which has won numerous best paper awards at international conferences. Her biogeophysics research focuses on investigating the interaction between microorganisms and subsurface geologic media and the application of this knowledge to bioremediation optimization, oil exploration, and as a proxy for biogeochemical processes. Her tectonophysics studies have included integrated geophysical imaging of lithospheric and upper mantle structures to understand the geodynamic processes of continental rift initiation and how preexisting Precambrian structures modulate strain localization leading to faulting and generation of earthquakes. Atekwana has conducted international field-based research in several countries including Botswana, Cameroon, Egypt, Malawi, Tanzania, Turkey, Uganda, and Zambia with her students.

Atekwana has been the lead principal investigator of many research projects funded by federal agencies and private companies. She has received several awards including the 2019 Association for Women Geoscientists Outstanding Educator and the 2016 Society of Exploration Geophysicists Outstanding Educator award. She was inducted an Honorary Member of Phi Beta Delta, the Honor Society for International Scholars, and the International Golden Key Honor Society. She has been convener of several workshops and special sessions and an invited speaker at international conferences and research institutions.

Atekwana is a member of several professional organizations including the Society of Exploration Geophysicists, American Geophysical Union, Geological Society of America, Geochemical Society, European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers, and National Association of Black Geoscientists. She has held leadership positions on several of these organizations.

Atekwana is passionate about her students and early-career faculty and is a mentor for women and minorities in the sciences. She has been an advisor of more than 40 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

CREDITS
Original music by Zach Bridges.

This episode was hosted, edited, and produced by Andrew Geary. Thank you to the SEG podcast team: Jennifer Crockett, Ally McGinnis, and Mick Swiney.

79: Developing biogeophysics and the search for life with Estella Atekwana

In this episode, host Andrew Geary speaks with Steve Sloan on smart city geophysics, the featured special section in September's The Leading Edge.

Steve highlights the wide array of papers highlighting the tools and techniques used to achieve the best results in less than ideal environments. We discuss the importance of geophysics in urban settings, how geophysics is uniquely suited to work in these environments, and the benefits afforded geophysicists in high-noise surroundings. We also discuss the role of privacy in obtaining data in urban settings. This is a great primer on the near-surface and its value in major population areas.

Visit https://seg.org/podcast for the complete show notes and links to this month's special section on smart city geophysics.

BIOGRAPHY
Steve Sloan is a Research Geophysicist at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center in the Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory in Vicksburg, Mississippi. He specializes in near-surface seismology, including high-resolution shallow seismic reflection, refraction tomography, and surface wave methods. His research has focused on the application of geophysical methods to defense problems and geophysical characterization of the shallow subsurface in austere environments around the world.

Steve received a B.S. in geology from Millsaps College (2003), and an M.S. (2005) and Ph.D. (2008, with Honors) in geology with a geophysics emphasis from The University of Kansas. He currently serves as the Past Chair of the SEG Near-Surface Geophysics Technical Section and is a member of the SEG Council and the Editorial Board of The Leading Edge. 

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, Jennifer Crockett, Ally McGinnis, and Mick Swiney.

89: Geophysics tools and techniques in high-noise environments

In this episode, host Andrew Geary speaks with Mehdi Aharchaou on machine learning and AI, the featured special section in October's The Leading Edge.

Mehdi shares his expertise in machine learning as we explore the potential and limitations of this cutting edge research. Mehdi highlights how these papers can improve the industry and why he views explainable AI and machine learning as the key to the future. He also explains why he believes the industry needs to do more to adopt and adjust to the digital revolution. This conversation covers important ground essential for all geophysicists and businesses - do not miss it!

Visit https://seg.org/podcast for the complete show notes and links to this month's special section on smart city geophysics.

BIOGRAPHY
Mehdi Aharchaou is a research geophysicist at ExxonMobil. During his 7 years with the company, he has worked on various cutting-edge signal processing and inversion technologies, on topics such as deghosting, noise suppression, Q compensation, source designature, trace interpolation, sparse Radon and multiple attenuation; and he has presented on some of these topics at the SEG. 

Prior to joining the oil and gas industry, he graduated from Georgia Tech, Rice University and INP-ENSEEIHT (Toulouse, France) with three Masters degrees in Geophysics and Electrical Engineering, and he worked on multiple real-world problems in oceanography, borehole geophysics, in addition to earthquake and exploration seismology. His interests lie in the processing, imaging, and inversion of geophysical data. Recently, his interests evolved towards the integration of machine learning and artificial intelligence to automate the geophysical exploration workflow.

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, Jennifer Crockett, Ally McGinnis, and Mick Swiney.

94: The case to adjust quicker to machine learning for geophysics

SEG President-Elect Anna Shaughnessy joins the podcast to highlight her 2020 Honorary Lecturer tour, "Developing a successful career in geophysics today."

In this timely discussion, Anna shares her insights on navigating your career in a transitional industry, how to stay relevant no matter your discipline, actions to take to set up for a successful career, and offers the key to choosing your career field.

It doesn't matter if you are a student, early career, or experiencing a career transition, Anna's valuable perspective will offer support and guidance for your professional path.

Visit https://seg.org/podcast for the complete show notes and the link to Anna's upcoming lecture tour.

BIOGRAPHY
Anna Shaughnessy received her undergraduate from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and her MSc. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Her industry career started as a geophysical interpreter and quickly moved to management of technical teams within the energy industry. She has held leadership roles in exploration and advanced technology at Mobil, Saudi Aramco, Texaco, and Kerr-McGee. After 30 years in the energy industry, she transitioned to the academic sector. In 2011, she became the executive director of MIT’s Earth Resources Laboratory (ERL). She retired from ERL in 2018 and is currently a consultant. Shaughnessy and her husband, Dan, are both geophysicists and have lived and worked in the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Scandinavia. They successfully managed six relocations with employment opportunities for both in each new location.

Currently, Shaughnessy is the vice-chair of the SEG Foundation Board (SEGF). The SEGF supports many of the SEG student programs and actively raises funds for existing and future programs. She also has served on many SEG teams including as secretary/treasurer for the Executive committee and on the Women’s Network Committee. In 2019, Shaughnessy acted as interim executive director for SEG for three months while SEG was searching for a new leader. Mentoring young scientists have been a life-long passion for Shaughnessy. She thrives on sharing her enthusiasm for science and technology and guiding others in directions that suit their particular talents and interests. Her wide work experience has offered her a great appreciation of geophysics’ role during the past 40 years. Her unique background and experience provide her with unusual insights into the role of applied geophysics in industry, academia, and society today and in years to come.

CREDITS
Original music by Zach Bridges.

This episode was hosted, edited, and produced by Andrew Geary. Thank you to the SEG podcast team: Ted Bakamjian, Jennifer Crockett, Ally McGinnis, and Mick Swiney.

96: Developing a successful career in geophysics today with Anna Shaughnessy

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.