Current Graduate Students

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David Smolkin

I graduated with a bachelor of science in physics from Millsaps College in 2008. I became interested in geophysics late in my career at Millsaps while working with Dr. Jamie Harris and some of his students on several data acquisition and several instrument repair projects.

For my thesis, I am working under Dr. Juan Lorenzo to develop a high frequency data acquisition system to measure the cone of depression induced by pumping within a slightly larger-than-lab scale environment. I interned with Devon Energy during the summer of 2009 as an exploration geoscientist. I learned the workflow involved in deepwater exploration in the Gulf of Mexico including interperting well logs, tying those to seismic with synthetics seismograms, and then interpreting seismic surveys and creating structure maps. I will be joining Devon Energy once I complete my

graduate degree.

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Erin Elliott

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Jason Hicks

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James Crane

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Carrie Cazes (M.Sc. for 2004), ConocoPhilips summer intern, Alaska, 2003, ExxonMobil 2004

Please contact me if you have any questions: ccazes1@paws.lsu.edu

Link to electronic thesis: http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-08042004-200816/

I received my master’s in geology from LSU in the Fall of 2004. I also received by BS in geology from LSU in 2001. I started my interest in geophysics by collecting and processing high-resolution seismic and gravity data sets in the sweltering heat of Louisiana summers.

I have had the opportunity to work three internships during my graduate studies:

GEOSCIENCE INTERN: BP, Houston, TX (Fall 2004) US Onshore Tuscoloosa Asset

GEOSCIENCE INTERN, ExxonMobil Development, West Africa Deepwater, Angola, Houston, TX (Summer 2004)

Interpreted various styles of deepwater channel complex sets on 3-D seismic to classify reservoirs on a regional scale. Generated regional environment of deposition (NTG) maps.

GEOPHYSICAL INTERN, ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc., Anchorage, AK (Summer 2003)

Interpreted complex horizons on 3-D seismic in a large, submarine slope failure complex. Learned and utilized various seismic volumes: acoustic impedance, waveform classification, spectral decomposition, and seismic attributes.

I hope to attain full-time employment in the oil and gas industry after I am finished with my last internship this fall.

Former Undergraduate Student

Mike Lorentz (BSc in Geology, LSU 2001)

While an undergraduate student I became very interested in the application of computers in geoscience. I worked with Dr. Lorenzo to develop a JAVA frontend for GMT, a commonly used set of free geophysical data analysis and manipulation tool (Smith and Wessel) in the geoscience community. I also developed a database in Excel for a regional seismic grid.

Since leaving school I have mainly worked in oil and gas sector. I worked 3 years for Hays Information Management and now I work at Apache Oil Corporation as a database analyst supporting their exploration and development group, corporate databases as well as exploration and production record management software. I'm still looking for more opportunities to gain knowledge with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications. I enjoy the field because it gives me the chance to advance my skills continually while keeping me flexible to weather the ups and downs of the oil industry.

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Beth Yuvancic Strickland (BSc.,in Geology, LSU 2001)

In 2004

Geoscientist
EP Technology, EP Solutions
Shell International Exploration and Production, Inc.

Former Graduate Students

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Sidney Egnew

Eunice, New Mexico was my home town for the first sixteen years of my life. My family moved to Louisiana in 1971 and I now reside in Springfield. I am married to Catherine and we have two boys, Nathan and Russell.

I was the outstanding graduating senior in physics at Southeastern Louisiana University in 1975. In 1976 and 1977, I was a graduate teaching assistant in Computer Science at the University of Southwestern Louisiana in Lafayette. From 1978 to 1986, I taught Computer Science at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond. I have worked as a consultant and software developer since 1980 and am currently employed by Indigo Systems Corporation as I work on my Ph.D. at Louisiana State University.

In 2004, I was recognized as a Distinguished Mentor by the Roy J. Shlemon Program in Applied Geosciences of the Geological Society of America. I am also a member of the American Geophysical Union, the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, the Society of Exploration Geophysicists, and the Seismological Society of America.

My interests include Geophysics, Geomorphology, Geosciences Education, and image processing. I am especially interested in growth fault systems, fracture patterns and jointing, fault reactivation, and seismic tomography.

This summer, I wrote a program which processes Lidar imagery for detection of geological features. The program has successfully identified locations of possible fault activations and will soon be tested for fault detection using Texas Lidar imagery. Development of the program is continuing and additional research opportunities have resulted from its use.

The most ambitious project I am working on is the Seismeauxgraph project proposed by Dr. Lorenzo. This project involves the creation of a seismic network to obtain data for seismic tomography of Louisiana. Its implementation will require a partnership involving industry, government, education, and the university. I am currently building the necessary relationships and working on funding for the project.

My outside interests include mineral and gem collection, skiing, cycling, ice skating, soaring, and flying. I am a military veteran, flight instructor, scoutmaster, and farmer.

My interest in Geology and Geophysics at LSU was brought about by my attendance at a lecture by one of the LSU professors. Subsequent visits to the department impressed me with the quality of the faculty and program. Joining the Geology and Geophysics at LSU has proven to be an excellent choice. I am quite pleased with the educational and research opportunities here.

Clay Westbrook , ExxonMobil intern 2005, now at ExxonMobil

" I graduated from Louisiana Tech in 2001 with a degree in Physics. While at LA Tech, I worked on several research projects, but the one that was most interesting was a passive seismic experiment in conjunction with The LIGO(Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory). The experiment is a joint is a joint project between scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). This project combined field work with experiment design and data processing. It was the first time I had been able to work outside as a physicist and I immediately fell in love with geophysics. After visiting several schools throughout the nation, I decided that LSU could give me the best opportunity to do what I wanted to do."

Ricardo Zapata (now at ENAP, Petroleos, Chile)

Education

M.S. in Geophysics, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile, 2001

Thesis called Bathymetric Study of Chilean Margin (financed by the National Geology and Mining Service of Chile, Santiago, Chile).

B.S. in Physics, University of Chile, Chile, 1995

Employment History

May 2002 – June 2003 Catholic University of Valparaiso, Valparaiso, Chile. University of Chile, Santiago, Chile

Geophysicist

Participated in Gas Hydrates project. Performed processing of multibeam bathymetry and compilation

of mutibeam and other sources of bathymetry for the entire Chilean margin, using bathymetric software MB-system

on Unix environment. Participated in the first Chilean cruise on AGOR Vidal Gormaz at Chile offshore between Valparaiso and

Chiloe Island.

November 2000 – March 2002 PGW S.A. Geophysics Consultants, Santiago, Chile.

Geophysicist

Performed processing and compilation of magnetic and radiometric data, and developing of applications for Oasis Montajge

and Arcview Softwares. Participated in geophysical interpretation projects. Also, performed ER-Mapper and Oasis Montaj support.

March – June 2000 Geodatos S.A.I.C. Geophysics Consultants, Santiago, Chile. (Part time)

Performed data processing of sidescan sonar data, using Matlab and C programming languages.

1998 – 1999 National Geology and Mining Service of Chile, Santiago, Chile

M.S. Candidate

Performed research on the thesis Bathymetric Study of Chilean Margin, using GMT and MB-System software, and C programming on Unix environment.

1996 – 1997 Department of Geophysics, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.

Research Assistant

Performed research on bathymetry of southern Chile, trying to improve world bathymetric database with seismic profiles. Participated in CTJ cruise on R/V L’Atlante at Taitao Triple Joint, Chile.

Adeniyi Saanumi (M.Sc., 2006), Texaco, Exxon intern 2000, Scholarship, 2004, ConocoPhillips intern, 2005, Currently employed by Marathon Oil, Houston.SGS

I come from the Western Part of Nigeria, specifically an oil-producing state with a rich cultural background and an inclination for education. I am married to Dayo and we have a lovely daughter (Anjola).

I had my undergraduate degree in Applied Geophysics (Fed. University of Technology, Akure), Nigeria in 1998. Really my goal is to become an exploration geoscientist having had a total of 16 months of internship experience with Exxon Mobil and Texaco Overseas upstream section. Somehow the last 4 years (2000-2003) saw me working as a Credit Analyst in a commercial bank in Nigeria.

So in retracing my step back to my goal, I resigned my appointment and joined the graduate program of LSU in order to gain more knowledge and experience in the geo-world. On completion of my Masters program, I intend to work as an exploration geoscientist in the petroleum industry.

Link to electronic thesis: http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-03212006-071703/

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John Londono (Ph.D., 2004), Shell summer intern, 2003, Shell employee

Title of Dissertation: Foreland Basins: Lithospheric Flexure, Plate Strength and Regional Stratigraphy: LSU Electronic thesis dissertation Collection URN: etd-05202004-160106

Dissertation Abstract:

Foreland basin subsidence through time is reproduced in this study, as the flexure of an elastic beam in an inviscid fluid under the vertical stress, caused by discrete-distributed loads. Thus, seismostratigraphic data from the Timor Sea peripheral foreland basin, in northwestern Australia, and the Putumayo retroarc foreland basin in the Colombian Andes, are forward modeled, at chronostratigraphic intervals, to assess the evolving geodynamic conditions of the basins. Results show that the accommodation in foreland basins varies as the depositional basement is vertically adjusted according to the regionally isostatic compensation of the lithosphere. Distributed tectonic (thrust belts) and sedimentary loads that act independently but consecutively during tectono-stratigraphic events, throughout the evolution of foreland basins, control the deflection of the plate that forms the foredeep of these depocenters. Accordingly, the loads limit the amount and distribution of available space for sedimentation. Results also reduce the role of eustasy to only 2 to 6% of the total accommodation, even in marine foreland depocenters. The strength of the plate remains invariable during the evolution of the basin at time scales of 106 to 107 m.y. Asymmetrical flexure, produced by oblique plate convergence, induces diachronuous and local marine cycles at basin scale (100’s of km). Stratigraphic development of non-marine foreland basins is more likely to respond to the evolution of the equilibrium-profile during basin history.

Brief Biography: "John obtains his bachelor’s degree in geology from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, in Bogotá, in 1995, after, and in spite of, five years among soccer fanaticism, liberal bohemians and romantic socialists. Soon after his graduation, while working for oil and raw-material companies and as well as a consultant, he begins to map part of the Colombian rain forest and the Caribbean coast. One and a half years of long-walks, multiple and unbearable helicopter flights, nights in the dark jungle, a lot of rain and experiences with bizarre plants, sneaks, tarantulas, monkeys, psychedelic birds and beautiful purple dragonflies, led him to move to a more civilized environment. Using London as a base, he spent one year trying to learn some english and back-packing Europe. Getting back again, to a more rural life, he earns his Master’s degree in applied geophysics from the University of Alabama in 2000. The following year, he enrolls at LSU as doctoral student in geosciences. After this scholastic period, following the advise of his father, he has decided to devote himself (at least for a while) to a more sedentary and contemplative life, dividing his time between exploring oil, and reading contemporary literature and about the history of geology.

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Kush Tandon (Ph.D., 1998) Research Associate Oregon State University

email: kush@coas.oregonstate.edu

Kush Tandon completed his Ph.D working with Juan Lorenzo in 1998. With Juan Lorenzo, Kush worked on causes of continental extension in collisional margins using various geophysical techniques such as, computer modeling of the mechanical behavior of the earth’s outer veneer, gravity modeling, reflection seismology, synthetic seismogram modeling and participating in the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 161. The dissertation work with Juan resulted in quite a few peer-reviewed publications (Please see below). Currently, Kush Tandon is working as a Research Associate (Postdoctoral) in the College of Oceanic & Atmospheric Sciences (COAS) at Oregon State University. Kush Tandon’s current work involves modularization, and object-oriented programming for large-scale problems in solid earth geophysics. Developing modular techniques somewhat similar to MATLAB and Mathematica, will allow all of us to test hypothesis with relative ease for a broad class of forward and inverse problems in physical sciences. Also, Kush is involved in an Indo-US-German multi-disciplinary initiative to understand earthquake cycle and blind-thrust earthquakes in western India and Himalayas. Such an initiative not only has pure science goals but also is an attempt to help policy makers and NGOs (non-government organizations) to develop earthquake risk mitigation in large urban population centers in developing countries. Kush has also degrees from Cornell University, University of Roorkee (now Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, India), and Meerut University (now Ch. Charan Singh Meerut University, India). Over the years, Kush has also worked at Oil and Natural Gas Commission (largest Oil and Gas Company in India), participated as a physical properties specialist aboard JOIDES Resolution on ODP Leg 161 in Western Mediterranean, ARCO International Oil and Gas Company (then a major worldwide Oil and Gas Company), Austin Exploration (Geophysical Contractor), Geotools (Software Company), Laboratory at Computational Geodynamics, Indiana University (one of the most multi-disciplinary lab possible), visiting faculty at University of Louisiana (Lafayette), Consortium for Automated Seismic Processing (CASP) at Texas A & M University……….it goes something like the movie "Forrest Gump".

Publications Related to Graduate Work at LSU

Tandon, K., J. M. Lorenzo, S. Widiyantoro, and G. W. O’Brien, Variations in Inelastic Failure of Subducting Continental Lithosphere and Tectonic Development: Australia-Banda Arc Convergence: American Geophysical Union Geodynamics Series on Plate Boundary Zone, Edited by S. A. Stein and J. T. Freymueller, Vol. 30, 341-357, 2002.

Tandon, K., J. M. Lorenzo, and G. W. O’Brien, Effective Elastic Thickness of the Northern Australian Continental Lithosphere Subducting Beneath the Banda Orogen (Indonesia): Inelastic Failure at the Start of Continental Subduction: Tectonophysics, Vol. 329, 39-60, 2000.

Lorenzo, J. M., G. W. O’Brien, J. Stewart, and K. Tandon, Inelastic Yielding and Forebulge Shape Across a Modern Foreland Basin: North West Shelf of Australia, Timor Sea: Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 25, 1455-1458, 1998.

Tandon, K., J. M. Lorenzo, and J. de La Linde Rubio, Timing of Rifting in the Alboran Sea -- Correlation of Borehole (ODP Leg 161 and Andalucia A-1) to Seismic Reflection Data: Implications for Basin Formation: Marine Geology, Vol. 144, 275-294, 1998.

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Ricky Boehme (M.Sc., 1996) now at CHEVRON TEXACO in the Lafayette Offices

THESIS TITLE: Stratigraphic response to Neogene tectonism on the Australian Northwest Shelf

" I'm enjoying working for a major

energy company, looking for oil and gas on the Gulf of Mexico shelf. The

coolest thing about the job is being the first person to see something

nobody else has seen before, whether it's a well log or a new 3-D

seismic data set. It's also great fun to test your interpretation by

drilling a well. "

e mail: Ricky.Boehme@chevrontexaco.com