Fulbright College Geosciences Professor Publishes New Edition of Book on 3D Seismology

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Christopher Liner, chair and professor of the Department of Geosciences in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, recently published an updated edition of his book on seismic data. The book, titled Elements of 3D Seismology, is now in its third edition.

"It's an in-depth introduction to acquiring, processing and understanding 3D seismic data," Liner said. "The book is not only intended for beginning geophysicists, but also for experts in related fields such as engineering, petroleum and geology, as well as professional geophysicists who want to learn about another subfield of their specialty."

Liner said this edition of Elements of 3D Seismology focuses more on seismic interpretation than the other two editions, especially in relation to exploration in the oil and gas business.

He modified this edition to include detailed information about updated seismology data and interpretation software, including OpendTect, which allows researchers anywhere in the world to do 3D seismic interpretation.

The new edition of the book is broken into three parts: wave propagation, seismic data processing and seismic interpretation. It also includes a large number of pictures and illustrations of formation interpretations from all over the United States, including many from Northwest Arkansas.

"Since approximately 80 percent of the world's energy use is fossil fuels, the study of geophysics and 3D seismic data is especially relevant," Liner said. "To address this, the new edition also includes a section on fossil fuel cost, climate concerns and energy sustainability."

In addition to his research and writing, Liner teaches petroleum geology to undergraduate students, as well as 3D seismic exploration to graduate students. 3D seismology, he said, can be compared to an ultrasound, just on a significantly larger scale. Liner specializes in interpreting these "ultrasound" images to find oil, gas, or fluids in the earth, as well as in carbonate rock, such as limestone.

Liner has had a long career in the field of geophysics, including several years spent in the oil industry. He is also the former president of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists, or SEG, which has 33,000 members in 138 countries. He was also named a SEG Distinguished Instructor, and holds Fulbright College's Maurice F. Storm Endowed Chair in Petroleum Geology. 

This semester, Liner will begin work on his next project, a book titled The Art and Science of Seismic Interpretation, with adjunct faculty member Thomas "Mac" McGilvery.