Geophysicist
Role Description
Geophysicists study the aspects of the earth using gravity, magnetic, electrical and seismic methods. Commonly in oil and gas companies, there are also opportunities in construction, mining, water companies and environmental agencies.
By collecting data on seismic waves, which move through and around the earth, you’ll create a picture of what lies below the earth’s surface. This information is vitally important to the oil and gas industries and is used to create maps of the build-up of hydrocarbons.
Other tasks include examining the physical properties of rocks and gathering and evaluating well data in order to build reservoir models.
Student Case Studies
Salary
Starting salary: £28,000 to £35,000.
Senior positions dealing with major projects: £40,000 to £75,000 per year.
Hours
In laboratory: 40-hour working weeks.
In fieldwork: 12 hour work days and exploration shifts as short as a day or longer than 4 weeks.
Prospects
Global mobility is crucial for dealing with peaks and troughs in your preferred field(like mineral mines or oil fields) in different countries at different times.
Skills Valued by Employers
- Good IT skills
- Process data to produce 3D models of geophysical features
- Project management skills
- Attention to detail and ability to record information accurately and concisely
- Teamworking skills
- The ability to work to deadlines and under pressure
- A desire to travel, as worldwide travel is a key feature of this career
- Commitment to continual learning
- Good color vision for interpreting geological maps and identifying various rocks and minerals
- A second language can be an advantage for overseas work.
