Stanford University, Department of Geophysics

The SEG Distinguished Achievement Award is given to Stanford University in recognition of its diverse contributions to the science of exploration geophysics and outstanding faculty.

Jon Claerbout and his students have made fundamental contributions to wave-equation migration, dip-moveout, migration velocity analysis, residual statics estimation, deconvolution, slant stacking, and turning-ray migration. Likewise, Amos Nur and Gary Mavko with their students and research associates have provided breakthroughs in understanding seismic attenuation anisotropy AVO in the presence of anisotropy, the rock-physics basis for hydrocarbon-recovery monitoring, and the effects of water saturation, pressure, clay content, and hydrocarbon saturation on rock properties. Similar contributions have come from Mark Zoback and his students working on understanding the state of stress in the earth's crust as well as from Jerry Harris and his students working in establishing crosswell seismology as a viable tool for hydrocarbon recovery.

Stanford University was a pioneer in the formation of industry-sponsored research consortia, so important to the development of the research base in the geophysical field. Stanford was also a pioneer in integrating geophysics, reservoir simulation, reservoir geostatistics, and petroleum geology. In addition to its outstanding faculty, Stanford can boast having produced a remarkably large number of illustrious alumni who have become major leaders in the science and practice of exploration geophysics.