SEG Board Announcement

In 2010, the SEG Executive Committee identified the near-surface community as an underserved and fragmented community of practice. In response to this, the 2010 SEG Executive Committee moved forward and invested in several significant initiatives to affect positive change. These initiatives included creating a Near-surface Honorary Lecturer series, creating and approving the hire of an SEG Near-surface program manager, and beginning an ongoing, active conversation with the Environmental and Engineering Geophysics (EEGS) leadership. Over the past 18 months, a combined SEG and EEGS task force worked with SEG and EEGS staff to explore the possibility and feasibility of combining EEGS with SEG to form the foundation of a strong global home for members of the near-surface community. Based on the recommendations of the task force, the SEG Board of Directors voted to approve the following during its February meeting:

1. Creation of an autonomous business entity for near-surface activities that would operate under the SEG umbrella.
2. Investing upwards of $1.5 million over five years to make this entity a viable and self-sustaining SEG community.
3. Create of a new near-surface journal that meets SEG publications standards for professionalism and scientific merit.

The SEG Board's endorsement of the EEGS-SEG task-force recommendations for merger firmly opens the final door for a formal EEGS–SEG merger. The same recommendations are being presented to the EEGS Board of Directors for approval during its March meeting. If approved, a formal merger agreement will be drafted and the membership of EEGS and SEG's Near Surface Geophysics Section will have the opportunity to vote on the merger. If the merger is approved by both entities, a new, stronger, and more service-focused near-surface SEG community will emerge by the end of 2013.

Feedback on this topic is welcomed.  Please feel free to contact SEG at ns@seg.org.