The Successes of the University of Naples SEG Student Chapter

The SEG Student Chapter of the University of Naples Federico II was founded in 2006 in Naples. Prof. Maurizio Fedi, full professor of applied geophysics at the Department of Earth, Environmental and Resources Sciences, is still its faculty advisor. The organized activities are satisfying mainly three requirements: to create a network among students to share their common interest in geophysics; take full advantage of the opportunities and advantages offered by the SEG for the training path of students; organize events to help students fill learning gaps. For all students who are approaching the world of geophysics for the first time, joining a Student Chapter can be an important step in their training and in view of a future working in the world of Geophysics. The SEG Student Chapter of Naples has always been the protagonist of important successes in the geo-scientific field, as shown for example by the various victories obtained during these years by students in international competitions, and the “Student Chapter Excellence Program” award assigned by the SEG to Student Chapter in 2013 and in 2015, for the commitment shown in promoting and organizing educational activities and training courses for students on geophysical issues. The proposed activities include lectures, such as “Infusing rock physics into seismic inversion” by Michael A.C. Kemper (2016 SEG Honorary Lecturer), and the webinar “Geophysical Inversion: Which Model Do You Want?” by Steven Constable (SEG / AAPG Distinguished Lecturer), in 2016, and the “Global Optimization and Uncertainty Quantification” course by Mrinal K. Sen (University of Texas), organized together with the University of Naples Federico II, in 2017. Every year the Chapter actively participates in some scientific dissemination events that take place in Naples, such as Futuro Remoto and Notte Europea dei Ricercatori. The opportunities of the SEG world have always characterized the activities of the Chapter. In recent years, students have been awarded several times for programs proposed by SEG, such as the SEG/Chevron Student Leadership Symposium (SLS, six presences in the last eight years) and the SEG /ExxonMobil Student Education Program (SEP, two presences in the last five years). In the last two years, also, the students of our Student Chapter have applied for the SEG programs: two candidates, winners for SLS, and three candidates for scholarship. Furthermore, from 2020 our students have been selected for the SEG European Virtual Student Conference, an event organized by the SEG Europe Regional Advisory Committee Student Member, scheduled in different editions during the year and aimed at students who are interested in sharing their work research with European colleagues and to develop an international network. The event, in fact, saw the participation of four students, who are members of the Student Chapter, in the last two years. The Chapter’s activities have always also involved participation in the Challenge Bowl, organized by the Italian Section of the EAGE-SEG, in which our teams have won four times in the last seven years. The pinnacle of success in the competition was reached in November 2020, when the last winning team of the Challenge Bowl Italy, took second place in the world final of the SEG Challenge Bowl, held virtually for the first time, due to the restrictions imposed by Covid-19.

This year, for the first time, the SEG Student Chapter was the winner of the SEG Outreach Grant, which provides a $ 1,000 grant from the SEG for scientific educational activities. The project involved the organization of a two-day course aimed at school students to provide geological information on the territory in which they live and on the role that geologists play in risk mitigation and in the use of resources. The project included a first day of field camp in the Herculaneum and Vesuvius National Park and a second day of visits to the low enthalpy geothermal system, in San Marcellino, and to the Royal Museum of Mineralogy (Naples).

Thanks to the media feedback obtained by the Outreach Grant, the Student Chapter was also recently contacted by the SEG to prepare a short article on the realization of this important event, which will then be published in The Leading Edge journal.

Another major success achieved by the Student Chapter, for the second consecutive year, was the $ 6,000 grant from the SEG Field Camp Committee on the SEG Geophysics Field Camp in Southern Italy 2021- Active Fault project.

With this program, SEG aims at advancing the science of geophysics and supporting aspiring geoscientists by providing funding for projects that promote the professional development, student support and youth outreach.

The previous SEG Geophysics Field Camp project in Southern Italy (2020), funded with $ 8,000, was organized despite the problems related to Covid-19. Consisting of a one-week course, the event provided a comprehensive geophysical field experience to the participants, including the acquisition, processing and interpretation of geophysical data. The scientific objective of the investigations concerned a study of the Plain of Verteglia (Montella, AV – Italy), of great interest from the hydrogeological point of view. For the geophysical survey, the participants had the opportunity to practice with gravimetric, electromagnetic, magnetometric, geoelectric and seismic methods. Furthermore, the participants had the great opportunity to take part in two particular surveys: UAV acquisition of magnetometric data and seismic surveys using a vibroseis source (MiniVib).

The current project includes a one-week geophysical field camp at Mefite in Rocca San Felice (AV) through the acquisition, processing and interpretation of geophysical data obtained with seismic, gravimetric and geoelectric methods.

These important successes and projects certainly have greater relevance to our association, as the organized activities had an important impact on the training of the participants. In fact, we had a strong increase in the number of students enrolled in the Student Chapter (from 6 to 32 members in the last two years!), and a growing networking with other SEG Student Chapters.

Stay updated on the present and future activities of our Student Chapter by following our Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram pages: University of Naples Federico II – SEG Student Chapter!