Episode 299: Why SEG Is Building a Home for Mining Geophysics

“That’s what we’re trying to achieve with this forum: bringing all the people together with different backgrounds and create this community, which I don’t think fully exists right now.”

Jiajia Sun and Nadine Veillette preview SEG’s first Critical Minerals Forum for the mining community in North America. Critical minerals are becoming more important to energy systems, supply chains, and public policy, but finding them still depends on difficult subsurface decisions. The conversation shows why geophysics matters when it is integrated with geology, geochemistry, drilling, and uncertainty. For students and working geophysicists, this is a growing area where technical skill, communication, and practical decision-making all matter.

Seismic Soundoff · Why SEG Is Building a Home for Mining Geophysics

Key Takeaways

Integration is now central to critical mineral exploration: Geophysics is most useful when it helps test geological ideas, reduce uncertainty, and guide better decisions about where to collect data or drill.
Mining creates a different mindset for geophysicists: Compared with oil and gas, mineral exploration often works with sparser drilling, smaller budgets, and more variable geological systems.
Critical minerals are opening new career paths: The field needs geophysicists who can combine imaging, inversion, AI, geology, communication, and decision-focused workflows.

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Show Credits

Andrew Geary at TreasureMint hosted, edited, and produced this episode. The SEG podcast team comprises Kelly Anderson, Robin Dupre, Kathy Gamble, and Ally McGinnis.

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