UC Santa Barbara Awarded $553,000 by Seismic Micro-Technology to Advance Geoscience Research

(Santa Barbara, Calif.) –– UC Santa Barbara's Department of Earth Science has received a $553,000 award from Seismic Micro-Technology Inc. in the form of educational and research software that will enable 3D visualization, mapping, and modeling of seismic data from subsurface sedimentary deposits.

"Working with the KINGDOM software, students and researchers can accurately and quickly interpret three-dimensional geological structures and their various field relations, and can further quantify their properties and subsurface geometry," said Craig Nicholson, a research scientist at the campus's Marine Science Institute.

"Because this type of software is routinely used in the oil industry for guiding critical decisions in hydrocarbon exploration and production, students who use the software will also be better prepared for that job market. Through this grant, Seismic Micro-Technology (SMT) helps ensure that UC Santa Barbara and its students in earth science gain this valuable research capability and experience."

The recent award renews software licenses previously provided by the geoscience software market leader.

Over the years, the software has been a vital tool for students and researchers investigating active tectonics, geologic structures, stratigraphy, and basin development, noted Nicholson.

It has also been instrumental in evaluating offshore hydrocarbon seeps and methane release, and in examining coastal responses to changes in sea level.

The goal of SMT's Educational Gifts Program is to put workstation software in the classroom so that students graduating from universities are equipped for the job market with workstation experience.

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† Photo: Oblique view of a buried offshore geologic surface located south of Santa Cruz Island that was mapped and visualized in 3D using the Seismic Micro-Technology KINGDOM software. This surface represents an early-Miocene geologic reference datum that developed near sea level and that has since subsided nearly 4 kilometers beneath Santa Cruz and Santa Monica basins. Image created by C. Sorlien, C. S. Schindler, and C. Nicholson.