Seismic Soundoff

• 262: More Than Membership - Turning SEG Engagement into Career Growth

  "Volunteering helps you build your network, sharpen your skills, and open doors you didn’t know existed." In this episode of Seismic Soundoff, SEG all-star volunteers Sergio Chávez-Pérez and Joe Reilly reflect on their recent articles in The Leading Edge’s President's Page series. They delve into the importance of professional growth, how SEG supports geophysicists worldwide, and why now is a pivotal time for the profession. With decades of experience and deep involvement in SEG, they offer wisdom, encouragement, and actionable advice for navigating today's changing energy and tech landscapes. KEY TAKEAWAYS > Stay curious and connected: Volunteering with SEG builds professional networks, encourages lifelong learning, and often leads to unexpected opportunities. > Adapt to change: The energy transition, AI, and global opportunities are transforming the geosciences - SEG webinars, journals, and programs help you stay ahead. > Understand before you apply: AI is powerful, but critical thinking and understanding the fundamentals are key to meaningful application in geophysics. CALL TO ACTION Read Sergio and Joe’s President's Page articles in The Leading Edge to dive deeper into their ideas. And if you’re inspired, get involved - join a webinar, volunteer, or become a mentor. SEG thrives because of passionate members like you. LINKS * Joseph Reilly, (2025), "President's Page: What excites you (professionally)?," The Leading Edge 44: 241–242. https://doi.org/10.1190/tle44040241.1 * Sergio Chávez-Pérez, (2025), "President's Page: Follow, understand, and do with SEG's help," The Leading Edge 44: 77–77. https://doi.org/10.1190/tle44020077.1 * Visit https://seg.org/podcasts/episode-262-more-than-membership-turning-seg-engagement-into-career-growth/ for additional links.

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• 261: Innovations in Land Seismic Acquisition with Andrea Crook

  "We're seeing rapid advances both in seismic acquisition technologies and in processing techniques. In order to get data that is appropriate for full waveform inversion, you have to rethink how you're acquiring the data in the field." In this episode, host Andrew Geary speaks with Andrea Crook, CEO of OptiSeis and lead instructor of the IMAGE 2025 short course, Innovations in Land Seismic Acquisition. Andrea explores the seismic design landscape, breaking down how advances in sources, sensors, sampling, and sustainability are reshaping land acquisition. Listeners will walk away with practical strategies to enhance survey quality, minimize environmental impact, and more effectively connect acquisition with processing and interpretation. KEY TAKEAWAYS > Innovations in survey design, such as high-density Vibroseis and nodal systems, lead to improved data and safer operations. > Sustainability in seismic acquisition isn’t just good for the planet - it also drives cost efficiency and long-term data value. > Course attendees will learn how to evaluate survey trade-offs, enhance trace density, and make informed decisions using real-world examples. CALL TO ACTION Ready to improve your surveys and future-proof your data? Sign up for Innovations in Land Seismic Acquisition at IMAGE 2025. This hands-on short course, led by Andrea Crook, covers the latest technologies, field-tested strategies, and real-world examples to boost your survey success. Separate registration is required; please reserve your spot at https://www.imageevent.org/short-courses/short-course-25/innovations-in-land-seismic-acquisition-seg. GUEST BIO Andrea Crook, P.Geoph., is the CEO of OptiSeis, a company she co-founded in 2011 to provide innovative solutions for accurate subsurface imaging. Andrea graduated from the University of Manitoba with a B.Sc. Honours in Geophysics and began her career at Shell Canada in seismic processing and geophysical operations. Based on her extensive contributions to the field of geophysics, she received the 2019 CSEG Technical Achievement Award and was the Society’s 2023 Symposium Honouree. She is also on the Board of Directors for the Clean Resource Innovation Network (CRIN), was selected to present the 2024/25 CSEG Canadian Distinguished Lecture Tour, and is the recipient of both the 2019 and 2024 GeoConvention Best Paper Award. Through active collaboration with industry and academia, she and her team continue to develop innovative solutions for environmentally sustainable subsurface imaging. LINKS * Sign up for Innovations in Land Seismic Acquisition at IMAGE 2025 at https://www.imageevent.org/short-courses/short-course-25/innovations-in-land-seismic-acquisition-seg * Visit https://seg.org/podcasts/episode-261-innovations-in-land-seismic-acquisition-with-andrea-crook for all the resources mentioned in this episode.

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• 260: Small Faults, Big Impact - Improving CCUS with Seismic Attributes

  “The goal is to keep injected CO₂ safely in place - that’s why understanding fault networks is so critical.” In this episode, host Andrew Geary welcomes David Lubo-Robles, lead author of The Leading Edge paper on detecting small-offset faults for carbon capture and storage (CCUS). David explains how advanced seismic attributes, without relying on machine learning, can help geoscientists better map faults that influence the movement of CO₂ underground. His insights demonstrate the importance of applied geophysics in enabling safer and smarter reservoir management in the era of climate solutions. KEY TAKEAWAYS > Advanced Seismic Attributes Matter: Multispectral coherence and volumetric aberrancy help visualize subtle faults often missed by traditional methods. > Fault Mapping Is Critical for CCUS: Understanding both large and small faults reduces geological risk and improves CO₂ storage safety. > Applied Geophysics Is Essential: From modeling to monitoring, geophysicists play a vital role in every stage of a successful CCUS project. CALL TO ACTION Want to dig deeper into how seismic attributes enhance fault detection for carbon storage? Read David’s paper in The Leading Edge, “Detection of small-offset faults in seismic data: An application for carbon capture and storage.” Whether you're in CCUS, oil and gas, or geothermal, this workflow offers tools you can apply today. Read at https://doi.org/10.1190/tle44040276.1. GUEST BIO David Lubo-Robles is a Research Scientist and Algorithm and Computing Lead for the Attribute Assisted Seismic Processing & Interpretation (AASPI) Consortium at the University of Oklahoma. David received a B.S. in geophysical engineering from Simon Bolivar University, Venezuela, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in geophysics from the University of Oklahoma. His research interests include the development and application of innovative tools using artificial intelligence, quantitative interpretation, and seismic attribute analysis to delineate geologic features suitable for energy and climate solutions. LINKS * Visit https://seg.org/podcasts/episode-260-small-faults-big-impact-improving-ccus-with-seismic-attributes for all the links mentioned in this episode.

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• 259: Inside the Editor’s Desk - Alison Malcolm on Leading SEG’s Flagship Journal

  "Publishing at a conference and publishing in GEOPHYSICS are quite different. The journal lets you go deeper and make your work reproducible and usable for others." In this insightful episode, host Andrew Geary speaks with Dr. Alison Malcolm, the former Editor-in-Chief of GEOPHYSICS, SEG's leading journal for applied geophysics. Alison demystifies the often misunderstood editorial process, shares highlights from her tenure, and offers heartfelt advice for authors, reviewers, and future editors. This conversation celebrates the dedicated volunteers behind the journal and sheds light on the upcoming transition to GeoScienceWorld. KEY TAKEAWAYS > Learn how a paper travels through the editorial process from submission to acceptance, including how volunteers play a key role at every stage. > Understand what makes a strong paper submission and how to stand out as a reviewer or future editor. > Explore how the journal is evolving with the transition to a new publishing platform and the impact of AI on the editing process. CALL TO ACTION Visit https://library.seg.org/action/showAlertSettings to sign up for the table of contents for GEOPHYSICS and other SEG publications. It's a great way to stay up to date with the latest technical innovations. And if you're interested in reviewing or editing for the journal, reach out to [email protected] - your voice and expertise can help shape the future of applied geophysics!

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• 258: Drilling, DAS, and Disagreements - A Real Look at EGS Geophysics

  “The difference now is horizontal wells, faster drilling, and better geophysics. That makes today’s EGS attempts more promising than ever.” In this episode, host Andrew Geary talks with Michael Wilt and Bill Cumming, guest editors of the April 2025 The Leading Edge special section on geophysical applications to geothermal exploration and development. With decades of field experience, Bill and Michael dive into the lessons and findings from the U.S. Department of Energy's FORGE Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) research project and Fervo's Cape Modern EGS commercial project. The interview features thoughtful back-and-forth that reveals the complexity of emerging EGS techniques. They discuss how microseismic monitoring, DAS systems, P-wave velocity models, and well design are shaping the future of EGS development. Importantly, they share practical advice for how geophysicists and students can get involved in this rapidly evolving field. KEY TAKEAWAYS > Utah FORGE and Cape Modern are shaping the practical future of EGS, offering real data and insight into what works, what doesn't, and what still needs to be figured out. > Back-and-forth perspectives from Bill and Michael show that even experts are still navigating unknowns in EGS development, especially around velocity modeling, fiber reliability, and stimulation strategies. > Geophysics is critical in reducing uncertainty in geothermal projects, but models must be questioned and continuously updated as new data arrives. THIS EPISODE SPONSORED BY KATALYST DATA MANAGEMENT Katalyst Data Management® provides the only integrated, end-to-end subsurface data management solution for the oil and gas industry. Its employees operate in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and South America and are dedicated to optimizing the value of subsurface data, including seismic and well data. Katalyst enables clients’ digital transformation of E&P data with digitizing services and digital transformation consulting. Learn more at www.katalystdm.com. LINKS * Visit https://seg.org/podcasts/episode-258-drilling-das-and-disagreements-a-real-look-at-egs-geophysics for links to the articles in The Leading Edge.

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