Seismic Soundoff

“It’s hard to tell where the limit is in terms of where it can go. You have to see what is possible to want to drive this.” Andrew Geary speaks with Malc Kent about why distributed acoustic sensing is gaining momentum across carbon storage, geothermal, infrastructure, and reservoir monitoring. The technology can collect enormous amounts of subsurface data, but the bigger challenge is turning that...

"That’s what we’re trying to achieve with this forum: bringing all the people together with different backgrounds and create this community, which I don’t think fully exists right now.” Jiajia Sun and Nadine Veillette preview SEG’s first Critical Minerals Forum for the mining community in North America. Critical minerals are becoming more important to energy systems, supply chains, and public poli...

"I feel like we are making a change in the way that people now see the volcanoes and see the earthquakes in El Salvador. So in that sense, I think we are making a a big change.” Adonay Martinez Coto and Susana Delgado discuss their Geoscientists Without Borders project to improve seismic monitoring around Santa Ana volcano in El Salvador. Their work shows how geophysics can move beyond instruments...

“If you're curious about geophysics, there's definitely a place in geophysics for you. The field is so interdisciplinary.” Johanna Villagomez joins Andrew Geary to share how curiosity, fieldwork, student leadership, and outreach are shaping her path as a PhD student in geophysics at the University of Houston. Her story shows why applied geophysics matters now: the field connects directly to water,...

"Integration, literally, that's why the URTeC is successful.” Marianne Rauch joins Andrew Geary to explain why URTeC 2026 matters for geophysicists who want their work to shape real field decisions. She argues that the event’s strength is integration: geology, geophysics, drilling, production, land, service companies, and operators in the same place. That matters now because unconventional develop...

“The concept of mapping the aquifer from the sky, that’s gigantic. It could change how aquifers are managed around the world.” Seogi Kang and Mike Wilt explain why groundwater is becoming one of the most important growth areas in applied geophysics. As drought, population growth, and water demand increase, geophysicists are being asked harder questions about where water is stored and how aquifers...

“We all realize that we need a lot more mineral resources in the next two decades. And we realized that geophysics can play a critical role.” Sarah Devriese and Jiajia Sun explain why demand for critical minerals is rising fast while new discoveries are getting harder to make. They show how geophysics now supports the full mining life cycle, from early airborne surveys to advanced 3D modeling and...

“Nothing can happen in a vacuum anymore. We need to have the developers talking to the geoscientists, talking to the environmental professionals.” Two OTC 2026 Emerging Leaders share why the future of offshore energy will be built through collaboration across geophysics, environmental science, AI, and engineering. Their stories reveal a powerful truth that many early career professionals overlook:...

"What has happened in the last few years is exploration overall has taken a little bit of a backseat. So they are starting to relook at seismic acquisition to explore new areas and solve more complex challenges." Seismic acquisition is entering a new phase where better design and smarter technology are quietly changing how we see the subsurface. New methods like full wavefield recording, DAS, and...

“You can't be stationary in this field. I've never seen anything like it." Machine learning is changing geophysics faster than most people expected, but knowing what actually works versus what is hype is still unclear. Jerry Schuster explains why combining physics, intuition, and hands-on coding is the real advantage that many overlook. He also reveals a surprising shift where AI can act like a “f...

"For early career geophysicists, I think it's really important to understand that DAS is going to have a unique role in reservoir management, be it onshore or offshore." Distributed acoustic sensing is opening new possibilities for how geophysicists collect and use seismic data. Ali Tura shares practical insights from his experience and highlights how these ideas will be explored further in his up...

“And what the world really needs is this flexibility on energy and the agility to ensure access and affordability. And that's where steering the offshore energy business is really critical.” Offshore energy is evolving quickly as global demand grows and new technologies emerge across oil and gas, offshore wind, and other energy systems. Alex Martinez and Joe Reilly discuss why the Offshore Technol...

“It’s not only about discovering resources, but about safeguarding them and safeguarding our future. When you understand the subsurface, you understand the foundation of food security, water security, and environmental stability.” Ahmed Elshenawy, SEG’s 2026 Middle East and Africa Honorary Lecturer, explores how geophysics can help solve some of today’s biggest challenges in agriculture and enviro...

“The major pitfall of machine learning of any kind is to be overly confident in the results. We run the risk of garbage in gospel out.” This discussion offers a rare chance to go a little deeper into a Leading Edge article and hear directly from the authors about the thinking behind their workflow. Satinder Chopra and Kurt Marfurt walk through how unsupervised machine learning, careful attribute s...

“I think that for geophysicists out there, people need to realize that it's an integrated career path. You can't separate the geophysics from the HPC anymore, if we ever did to begin with.” High-performance computing is becoming more important as seismic data grows in size and complexity. This episode highlights the January The Leading Edge special section on high-performance computing. Guest edit...

“This project really bridged the gap that we get from just learning in university and actually doing it in real life. It is actually making an impact on society.” Stella Eulia Andoka and Michael Partogi share how their student team used applied geophysical tools to investigate groundwater contamination affecting more than 2,600 families living near the Cipayung landfill in Indonesia. With support...

“Deep learning is ubiquitous in data processing. The question is whether we have the courage to change the way we work.” Yangkang Chen discusses how deep learning has moved from experimentation to production in seismic processing and earthquake monitoring. Drawing on a decade-long effort to build an operational AI-driven monitoring system, he explains why tasks like first-arrival picking, velocity...

“Oil company management has to understand that its business is essentially a technology business. It's not a marketing business.” In this episode of Seismic Soundoff, Andrew Geary speaks with Dr. Leon Thomsen about his memoir, “‘Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Thomsen!’: Adventures of a Petroleum Scientist,” and a career that helped redefine applied geophysics. Leon reflects on the experiences that shap...

“Latin America doesn't just belong in SEG; it can help shape SEG's future. And SEG, in turn, can help shape a more connected and innovative future for geoscience in our region.” Fernanda Hermes, SEG's Latin America Market Development & Engagement Manager, shares how Latin America is becoming a key contributor to global geophysics through its geological diversity, energy transitions, and active stu...

“Models are still the bread and butter in gravity and magnetics interpretation. Interpreters still have to condition the data properly, and that's half technical, half art.” Betty Johnson shares how her early career in gravity and magnetics grew from curiosity, hands‑on learning, and rapidly changing technology. She explains how potential field methods remain valuable for addressing energy, water,...

“Your nomination might be the only way their work is recognized at the level it deserves. The Honors and Awards program is powered by our members and only succeeds when we take the time to lift up one another.” Maurice Nessim explains why SEG Honors and Awards are essential for recognizing scientific, professional, and social contributions in applied geophysics. He shares how member nominations en...

"Sustainability is about reliance and resilience. Our focus needs to be on how systems remain reliable over time." Céline Gerson shares how Fugro is reshaping its business to focus on resilience, adaptability, and sustainability. She explains the importance of critical minerals, coastal resilience, and digital transformation for the future of geophysics. Her insights highlight how innovation, resp...

"Sometimes the traditional methods are way more effective or efficient in handling certain things. To succeed in this new paradigm, we need to build on our strong fundamentals and progress further." Ivan Lim Chen Ning shares how data-driven methods are reshaping geophysics by challenging traditional workflows and opening new possibilities. He highlights the role of AI, machine learning, and fiber-...

"The applications of drones in geophysics have increased dramatically in the last 10 years. Drones can be said to be an established platform for geophysical measurement methods." Drones have quickly moved from experimental tools to essential platforms in geophysics. Johannes Stoll explains how advances in sensor miniaturization, AI navigation, and regulatory clarity are enabling wide-area surveys...

"Geophysics plays a central role in this energy transition because it provides the tools and insights needed to understand, manage, and optimize subsurface resources. These resources are critical for both traditional and renewable energy systems." Geophysics is essential for geothermal energy, carbon storage, hydrogen storage, and critical minerals. Joël Le Calvez and Erkan Ay explain how methods...