Esben Auken is the former deputy director at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) and a former professor of geophysics at the Department of Geoscience, Aarhus University, Denmark. He gained an MSc (1991) and PhD (1996) in geophysics from Aarhus University. As a professor he did high-level research with electrical and electromagnetic methods for high-resolution mapping of the shallow subsurface with focus on surface and groundwater processes. Of special interest was development of electromagnetic instruments and processing and inversion software with focus on hydrological problems. The research group was most likely the largest in the world. At the geological survey he was responsible for GEUS’s research program within water and climate adaptation, research, and innovation on the highest level and for the benefit of the Danish and international society. He is still an active researcher with focus on development of geophysical instrumentation. He co-founded three successful spinn-out companies: SkyTEM Surveys Aps (2003), Aarhus GeoSoftware ApS (2015, in 2021 owned by Seequent) and Aarhus GeoInstruments Aps (2020). 

Position statement

Imagining the near-surface subsurface layers is extremely important for essential societal problems like management of groundwater resources, contaminations plumes, artificial infiltration of excess water etc.. These problems is further exaggerated due to our changing climate. The development of technologies has in the last decay been enormous and near surface geophysics has more to offer and should have a much more prominent role than is currently seen. The Near Surface Technical Section with its scientist, professionals, and students represent the skillset to increase the role of near surface geophysics to solve problems for the benefit of society.

I am confident that my engagement in basic and applied research, in depth experience with large interdisciplinary projects, and collaboration with private companies and public authorities can facilitate advancement of the Near Surface Technical Section in general and in particular within SEG and SEG’s sister organizations. I have been a member of the AGU-SEG collaboration committee and has previously arranged workshops within electro and electromagnetic methods in the US and in Europa.  

Geoff is a Technical Director–Hydrogeology and Geophysics in GHD, and Principal in Terra Entheos Geoscience with 50+ years specialized experience in the practical application of almost all NSG airborne, surface, marine and downhole geophysical methods to mining, groundwater, geotechnical, environmental, oil and gas and mineral resource assessment, CO2 sequestration, geothermal, salinity, soil mapping and bore geophysical logging and condition assessment projects. He has additional varied experience and training in irrigation review and management, water resources, remote sensing, image processing, information management, GIS and database, flood mapping, asset management, catchment management, and community engagement. Geoff also has extensive groundwater, salinity, major infrastructure and international development assistance project management experience and not-for-profit board voluntary service experience. His consulting interests include sustainable groundwater usage, sustainable irrigation, sustainable mining and mine development, geotechnical, environmental investigations and international development assistance, and community / stakeholder engagement. Geoff has worked and consulted throughout Australia and overseas in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, China, Russia, Canada, US, Philippines and Africa.

Position Statement: I am seeking your support as a candidate for the position of SEG Near Surface President-Elect and am basing my candidacy on a manifesto of advocacy and working to seek unity of the America’s Near-Surface Geophysics  (NSG) and minerals geophysics professional community under SEG in the Americas as has been the case in EAGE since its inception in 2003. I am prepared to have my candidacy rise or fall on the small America’s NSG and mineral geophysics communities and specifically the SEG NS voting membership acceptance of the unity I am advocating and the value proposition that unity offers. Why unity, why now, and why should it influence your voting decision? I assert that there are many compelling reasons and advantages.

The SEG and our NSG profession is at the cross-roads in terms of applied geophysics governance and the SEG with the guidance of the Task Force is seeking to re-invent and renew itself with a greater place for NSG in SEG. However, SEG NS is but a section in SEG (compared to a division of NSG with mineral geophysics in the bi-divisional EAGE) and the Americas NSG community is not only about SEG NS. EEGS broke away from SEG in 1992 and AGU NS similarly in 2005, to fulfil their directions for NSG outside the perceived to be oil and gas dominated SEG. People take their custom elsewhere for a reason and we need to understand and address these reasons.

Now our NSG community is tribalized – three NSG tribes (SEG NS, EEGS, AGU NS) all with the same mission to advance and promote NSG science, inefficiently competing with each other. We compete for work in the consulting, contracting and instrument and software sales/rental sector, perspective ground in exploration, limited grant monies in research, but where is the common sense and professionalism in competition of our representative professional societies and forcing our NSG community and sponsors to choose their tribe? My thesis is that this tribalism weakens the effectiveness and credibility of our NSG profession (estimated ~2000 NSG geophysicists plus the minerals geophysicists and students) to engage with and get greater acceptance of our methods into the geoscience workflows of the estimated 75,000+ potential end-users of NSG in the many geoscience and geo-engineering professional societies.

Further, the great crew change is upon us, with loss of experience from our profession of the retiring “baby-boomer” geophysicists that have developed much of our applied geophysics science to where we are today. This crew change is particularly acutely obvious in the mineral geophysics community which as the SEGMIN discussion attests, is grappling with the question of generational change and where the home of mineral geophysics should be and what minerals geophysics governance might look like going forward? Should it be SEG or dispersed across the national chapters of Canada (CSEG, KEGS), Australia (ASEG) or South Africa (SAGA) etc.? Again the EAGE has shown the symbiosis of NSG and minerals geophysics can work in a global professional society representation context in conjunction with national chapters.

Most importantly we are in exciting and challenging times where we must individually and collectively equip ourselves to better face up to meeting the challenges of applying NSG science to global sustainability issues and imperatives (sustainability in groundwater, soils, mining, infrastructure, environment and climate change etc.). SEG recognizes this and is looking for ideas to go forward. Strengthened by NSG unity, with collective experience in collaboration with the wider geoscience and geo-engineering community, we can meet these challenges more effectively focusing on solutions and better influencing research directions.

In short, I assert we need a new NSG paradigm and sprit – a focus on advancing our NSG profession rather than advancing the NSG tribes, that is bringing unity to the Americas NSG and minerals community and therefore also bringing equivalence to the global approach to applied geophysics governance between SEG and EAGE.

In support of my candidacy I offer a vision and passion for the Near-Surface Geophysics profession and I am excited about the continued and accelerating growth in geophysics know-how, technologies, computing power, and research as well as about what the new generation of geophysics and geophysicists are bringing and will bring. The good old days are not behind us but are forever unfolding for our profession.

My postgraduate training and career experience in community engagement and development, not-for-profit Board governance and change management in a range of challenging technical, multidisciplinary and multi-cultural environments, tells me that working for change from a tribal to a unity paradigm is a process which will need leadership, involvement of all stakeholders, sensitivity, diplomacy, open discussion, listening, appreciation and embracing of cultural differences, compromise and patience. I offer my experience to work with all the NSG and minerals geophysics community and stakeholders in helping to enable this process.

I bring a commitment and track record of service to the geoscience profession (previously in ASEG, EEGS, IAH, PESA committees and Executives and in NSG publishing – previous Editor ASEG Preview and EEGS FastTIMES). Through this I have developed a good understanding of the US, Australian, and international geophysical practitioners and NSG end-users professional Society landscape and many useful contacts.

I consult part-time and (as per my bio) have been fortunate in accumulating broad practical experience in mostly the NSG sector, but also in the oil and gas and minerals sectors. I have 52 years work experience in Federal, State and international Government Geological Surveys and private consulting, in over 300 NSG projects carried out using almost all NSG airborne, surface, downhole and marine geophysical methods for groundwater, geotechnical, infrastructure, mining, resource, environmental, UXO, soil, salinity, geothermal and CO₂ sequestration applications (and the active and valuable learnings from several times more projects researched and bid for where NSG methodologies and innovation had to be developed to bid for the job).

All this experience has engendered a particular respect for what both NSG researchers and educators (established and emerging) and day to day NSG practitioners (consultants, contractors, instrument makers, software developers etc.) and the diverse geoscience and engineering NSG end-users have to offer each other and a vision of how, if we unify and more efficiently channel our voluntary energies, we can bring these three contributing parties closer together. We can do this with multi-disciplinary committees focused on particular sustainability issues for stronger advancement of our NSG science, getting greater acceptance of our workflows into integrated near-surface geoscience day to day practice and collectively better influencing applied geoscience research directions.

If the unity manifesto I advocate for and pledge to, has not struck a chord with you and you are happy with the status quo of the tribal governance of NSG in the Americas, I am probably not your candidate.

If however you would like to see our SEG and the Americas NSG and minerals geophysics profession move to a position of unity and governance that SEG, EEGS and AGU can agree on and that our European colleagues in their global applied geophysics Society have long enjoyed and therefore to a new level of NSG governance maturity, credibility and capability, I would be grateful for your vote for my candidacy for SEG NS President-Elect.

The opportunity to honor my pledge and to serve SEG NS as part of service to the greater interests of our global applied geophysics profession and the entire Americas and wider NSG and minerals geophysics community, is something I am prepared to follow through for the three years of service that is entailed. Thank you for your consideration.

I am an applied, near-surface geophysicist with a focus on electrical and electromagnetic methods. I am currently serving as a postdoctoral scholar at the University of South Florida, which is also where I earned my PhD In this position, I have contributed the geophysical component to a cultural resource preservation project at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. I have integrated terrestrial LiDAR scan data with geophysical data to capture spatiotemporal changes following a sinkhole collapse in west-central Florida. Lastly, I’ve explored non-traditional methods to improve ground-penetrating image resolution.

My interests lie at the intersection of optimizing geophysical techniques, multidiscipline research, and creating robust visualizations. To date, the applications of my work include electromagnetic response simulations, delineating historic structures, monitoring coastal groundwater dynamics, imaging tuff ring stratigraphy, and mapping mantled karst as it relates to hydrogeologic frameworks.

Position statement: I would be delighted to serve as secretary of SEG NSTS. The role of the secretary may be straightforward, but it encompasses essential tasks to ensure clear communication among the leadership team, SEG staff, and section committees. As secretary, I will be vigilant about keeping detailed records of plans, discussions, and decisions between members of the leadership team and quickly make those records available to relevant SEG personnel. It will be my pleasure to be involved with NSTS by facilitating meeting logistics, including, but not limited to, taking meeting minutes, scheduling teleconferences, preparing presentations.

I look forward to the opportunity to be a part of a great group and learn as much as possible about SEG section operations.

Anja received a PhD in Hydrogeopyshics from RWTH Aachen (Germany) in 2013 and holds since 2021 a professorship in Hydrogeophysics in a joint appointment between the University of Cologne and the Forschungszentrum Julich. Anja contributed significantly to the near-surface geophysics community by combining theoretical methods development with meticulous and creative applications to a range of geological, hydrogeological, and biogeological problems. She has been on the forefront of developing crosshole GPR data analysis from ray tracing into full-waveform inversion, which offers significantly higher resolution images of the subsurface. Using her developments in this field, Anja addressed questions related to flow in porous media, peatland processes, agricultural monitoring, Mars analogue soils, and more. Anja’s commitment to mentor young scientists is also shown by her co-supervision of 13 PhD students and several MS students. On top of her exceptional collaborations and mentoring, she has been a steady and active contributor to the near-surface geophysics community, within both SEG and AGU.

Position Statement: The near-surface environment involves complex interactions of rock, soil, water, air, and living organisms. These interactions regulate the natural habitat and determine the availability of life-sustaining resources. Characterizing the near surface to assess environment risks and resources is a challenging for our modern society. The near surface technical section (NSTS) provides fundamental support to enhance cooperation and communication between near surface geophysicist and society including industry, science, and academia. Therefore, I am honored to be considered for the position of NSTS Global Vice-Chairperson to support the Global Chairperson with my cross-disciplinary background and help to enhance the expand the use of geophysics in a wide range of applications. I will help to increase SEG’s international role especially in Europe in promoting near-surface geophysics through collaborations with other organizations such as the EGU and DGG and help to reach out to other communities and industry.

Dr. Hakim SAIBI is a professor with the geosciences department ad the United Arab Emirates University in UAE. He holds a BSc (2000) and MSc (2003) in Earth Sciences from the University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene (USTHB, Algeria), and a PhD (2007) in Earth Resources Engineering from Kyushu University, Japan. He holds also a Business and Management degree from Kyushu University (2010). He was awarded the JSPS (Japan Society for Promotion of Science) Postdoctoral Fellowship (2007–2009). He joined Kyushu University as faculty member in 2010 and now he works at UAEU. His research interests mainly focus on exploration geophysics (magnetotelluric, gravity and magnetics), geothermal energy and Artificial Intelligence in geosciences. He has developed research groups on geothermal energy concerning different countries from Africa, Asia, Middle East and Central America. He is a member of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists, International Geothermal Association and the Geothermal Research Society of Japan. He has published 77 peer-reviewed journal articles, 87 conference papers, 4 book chapters, and 4 books, and has been an invited speaker on numerous occasions at academic institutions throughout the world and at both national and international conferences.

Position Statement: As a vice-chair of the SEG NSTS Global Subcommittee, I will work closely with the Chair and members of the committee to promote the activities of the SEG internationally.

It is important to ensure that all committee satisfy the goals and objectives of the SEG and SEG NSTS, locally and globally, especially in the currently difficult conditions for responsibly exploiting global natural resources, minerals, water and energy, and concerns for climate change.

The committee will work to publicize information on the activities and events of the SEG and SEG NSTS in social media, and encourage members to engage with the SEG Near-Surface Geophysics Technical Section by submitting material to the social media pages and to the Near-Surface Geophysics Technical Section Newsletter and news briefs.