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Current Graduate
Students
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Sidney Egnew (for Ph.D., 2007)
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.
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Clay Westbrook (for MSc., 2006), ExxonMobil intern, Spring 2005
" 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."
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Ricardo Zapata
(for Ph.D., 2007) Department of
Geology and Geophysics
Louisiana State University
Howe – Russell Geoscience Complex
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
225/578-2680
rzapata@geol.lsu.edu
Education
Ph.D. in Geology, Louisiana State University, Baton
Rouge, LA 70803, August 2003 to Present. Dissertation Research on Flexure of
the Lithosphere under the load of Mississippi Delta using Viscoelastic
models.
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.
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Carrie Cazes (M.Sc. for 2004), ConocoPhilips summer intern,
Alaska, 2003, ExxonMobil 2004
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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.
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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.
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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.
email:
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. "
email:
Ricky.Boehme@chevrontexaco.com
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