A link to the past with an eye to the future Near Surface Geophysics Section gathers to celebrate
their timeless field by Mick Swiney  Attending the SEG Annual Meeting makes you feel like you have reached into the heart of the oil and gas industry, where brilliant minds come together to find hydrocarbons in hidden corners of the Earth's crust. And yet it can be misleading to associate geophysics only with the petroleum. After all, geophysics is critical to finding all kinds of important things beneath the earth's surface –not just oil, for example, but water. Such is the work of near surface geophysics, where the knowledge and expertise that helps to locate hydrocarbon reservoirs can be applied to help communities grow and thrive, whether by finding water resources, fighting groundwater contamination, preventing landslides, locating cultural and historical artifacts, and more — the potential applications are as varied and diverse as the people who gather every year to commemorate the work of SEG's Near Surface Geophysics Section.  This year's event was held in a private bar at the Rice Hotel, an august structure built in 1912 and included in the National Register of Historic Places, yet sporting brand new interiors thanks to its recent restoration. In this respect it is a poetically appropriate setting, as near surface geophysics is fundamental to the history of geophysics, arguably predating the search for petroleum, as old as the very idea of the doodlebuggers themselves. And yet for SEG it can also be considered a hot topic, the subject of new concern and attention within the profession, and new accomplishments protecting communities in developing regions and helping them to grow and thrive. Despite being an exclusive gathering of some of the most passionate people in the field of geophysics, the atmosphere – as every year – is casual and relaxed, so much that this year's Near Surface Reception was aptly renamed the "Near Surface Evening Social". The madcap schedule of the Annual Meeting, and the fact that so many key Near Surface members serve valuable functions in other areas of SEG, has made scheduling the Evening Social a perennial challenge, with the NSGS typically aiming for a relaxed Tuesday evening soiree that goes long into the evening, allowing members to alternate their attendance with appearances at the SEG President's Reception as well. While this has the drawback that many members were absent at the beginning of the evening, it has the effect of creating an event that grows and changes as the evening wears on, as this tight-knit group of section members is joined by their many friends throughout SEG well into the night.  Only a few hours into his tenure as new NSGS president, Dr. Remke Van Dam immediately dispensed with the formalities, taking a few moments to offer heartfelt thanks to the evening's sponsors, Bartington and Geometrics, as well as to all sponsors of the Near Surface Section throughout the year (see image above). And then it was on to the moment everyone had been waiting for, a glimpse of the up-and-coming great minds of near surface geophysics, as the winners of this year's student call for papers were honored with travel grants. Out of 21 high quality applications, the awards were granted to Edan Gofer of Tel Aviv University, Brett Judy of the University of Kansas (Brett was unable to attend the event), Jordan Nolan also of the University of Kansas, and Jide Ogunbo of the University of Science and Technology of China. All in all, it was an evening suited to its subject, where geophysicists young and old, from all branches and institutions, gathered to fan the flame of their support for this critical branch of a critical science. And yet from the cheery conversation to the comfortable setting, there was nothing about the evening that suggested anything more than a relaxed gathering of friends — a fitting tribute to geophysicists who like to get their hands dirty, applying great minds to solve the great problems that lurk close beneath the surface of the earth. |
