Introduction to Special Focus: Visualization in geophysics

Abstract

Scientific visualization is defined as “the act of achieving a complete visual impression of an object.” In geophysics, we must add “and its associated and derived properties” to that definition. Geophysicists routinely visualize massive information-rich objects (e.g., seismic data, well logs, etc.), and how well we visualize them plays a dominating role in the success of an exploration project. Despite visualization's importance, our visualization techniques are relics of a bygone technological era and are based more on artistic rather than scientific principles.