Introduction to this special section: Seismic resolution

Abstract

The science of modern seismology was born more than 100 years ago (1889) when the first teleseismic record was identified and the seismograph was developed ( Ben-Menahem, 1995 ). In 1921, earth exploration was revolutionized when a team led by Clarence Karcher conducted the first field tests of the reflection seismograph in Oklahoma City ( Dragoset, 2005 ). That experiment showed that the subsurface can be imaged using seismic data. Businesses boomed as the seismic method started establishing its track record in finding hydrocarbons. Over the last century, the seismic method has emerged as the cornerstone of exploration geophysics, providing us with increasingly accurate characterizations of the subsurface and enabling us to better discover and describe hydrocarbon prospects, geothermal anomalies, seafloor hazards, aquifers, and much more.