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Dr. Ed Wightman
Background
Ph.D. Applied Geophysics, Leeds University, England
Post Graduate Diploma in Applied Geophysics, Leeds University, England.
B.Sc. Physics/Mathematics, London University, England
Registered Geophysicist in California (#955)
OSHA 40 Hour Health and Safety training
United States Citizen.
Experience
A Geophysicist with over 20 years experience successfully applying a
wide variety of geophysical techniques to the search for groundwater,
minerals and hydrocarbons along with environmental and engineering
applications. Corporations worked for include the South Australian
Department of Mines, Sherritt Gordon Mines (in Canada), Anaconda
Minerals Corporation, ARCO, Compgnie Generale de Geophysique (CGG) and
ARCADIS Geraghty & Miller.
Selected Projects
Groundwater
Exploration
Managed a geophysical project for the Government of Botswana searching
for supplies of fresh groundwater in the remote Northern region of the
country. Airborne magnetic, electromagnetic and Digital Terrain Mapping
methods were used along with ground magnetic and electromagnetic
(Transient Electromagnetic Soundings) methods. Successfully found large
supplies of fresh water.
Mapped the saturated sediments under and adjacent to the Ohio river for
a large Mid Western water utility company using automated resistivity
measurements along the river and Transient Electromagnetic soundings
along the river banks. Interpreted the best location for wells based on
estimated relative porosity and saturated layer thickness.
Searched for, and found, groundwater supplies for Aboriginal settlements
in the center of Australia. Also solved groundwater problems related to
supplies to vineyards in Australia.
Visited Nigeria for the World Bank to teach geophysical methods for
water exploration. Monitored the results of later surveys done by the
participants. Exploration success went from about 50% with no geophysics
to over 80% when geophysical methods were applied.
Mineral Exploration
Located a commercially important supply of Fluorite using resistivity
methods in England. This led to significant research funding to Leeds
University by the mining company involved.
Used gravity and aeromagnetic methods to define the structure and
related mineralogy of the large open pit mine at Butte, Montana. The
interpretation was confirmed by drilling.
Performed many surveys for mineral exploration using almost all ground
methods along with numerous aeromagnetic and airborne electromagnetic
surveys. The ground surveys included Spectral Induced Polarization,
which was used to discriminate mineral types and habitat. Managed a
long-term research project involving Spectral Induced Polarization.
Wrote software for Sherritt Gordon Mines (Canada) to process and
interpret aeromagnetic and airborne electromagnetic data. Aeromagnetic
routines included reduction to the pole, analytic function, Werner
deconvolution, continuation and many filtering routines. Wrote software
to interpret ground geophysical methods.
Hydrocarbon Exploration
Used Transient Electromagnetic soundings to map the salt water/gas
interface at a gas field in Oklahoma at depths over 2000 feet. This was
the first time this technique had been used for this purpose in the
United States.
Processed reflection seismic data for hydrocarbon exploration for
Compagnie Generale de Geophysique (CGG) using standard processing
methods along with amplitude versus offset (AVO) techniques.
Managed a research project for ARCO to evaluate theories regarding
reported pyrite haloes over oil/gas fields. Performed Induced
Polarization (IP) surveys over several fields showing that IP anomalies
were observed. Concluded that the pyrite haloes were authentic and
resulted from hydrogen sulfide gasses migrating upwards from the
hydrocarbon fields which were then interacting with iron in the
overlying sediments and producing pyrite.
Conducted and interpreted electrical research surveys over volcanic
areas where it was not possible to obtain good seismic data. Mapped the
thickness of volcanic layers and generated structural interpretations.
Among the first to apply and use static corrections in Magnetotelluric
exploration. Presented a paper on the techniques used at the 1984
Society of Exploration geophysics convention. The technique is now
commonly used.
Environmental and Engineering Methods
Performed Transient Electromagnetic soundings, and other methods, to map
groundwater contamination at several sites for the Uranium Mill Tailings
(UMTRA) program, administered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
Successfully mapped regions where the groundwater had been contaminated
by earlier industrial activities. These maps were then used to guide
remediation.
Mapped the bedrock at Argonne National Laboratory using refraction
seismic methods. Subsequent drill results showed the interpreted bedrock
depths to be accurate. Depths of investigation were up to 130 feet.
At a U.S. Department of Energy UMTRA site in Western Colorado, a
tailings cell had been designed and was ready for excavation when water
in paleochannels on top of the bedrock was discovered at the cell site.
Regulations forbid placing the cell where groundwater was present. Found
a geophysical method that could locate these channels. Mapped the entire
350 acre site and provided the DOE with contour map of the bedrock
showing the channels. This map provided a better location for the
tailings cell which was then moved as suggested.
PUBLICATIONS
"Mapping Gas-Salt Water Contacts with Transient Electromagnetic
Soundings", (with Pieter Hoekstra, Prof. A. A. Kaufman and Pierre
Andrieux). Presented at the 1983 Society of Exploration Geophysicists
Convention, Las Vegas, Nevada.
"The So Called Static Corrections in Magnetotelluric Methods", (with
Pierre Andrieux). Presented at the 1984 Society of Exploration
Geophysicists Convention in Atlanta, Georgia.
"Geophysical Methods Used to Guide Hydrogeological Investigations at a
Site near Grand Junction, Colorado, 1992, (with B. Martinek and D.
Hammermeister), in Current Practices in Ground Water and Vadose Zone
Investigations, ASTM STP118.
"A Transmission-Line Model for Electrical Logging through Casing, (with
Prof. A. A. Kaufman), Geophysics, Vol 58, No 12 (December 1993).
"Influence of inductive effect on measurement of resistivity through
casing", (with Prof. A. A. Kaufman, and A Karinsky.) Geophysics, Vol 61,
No 1 (February 1996).
"Aeromagnetic Interpretation for the Maun Project, Botswana", (with T.
B. Ngwisanyi ) Presented at the 1997 Australian Society of Exploration
Geophysicists Annual Meeting.
"Application of Airborne and Ground Geophysical Surveys in Elucidating
the Geology and Water Resources Potential of the Lower Okavango Delta,
Northwestern Botswana", (with T. B. Bakaya, A. Kumar, H. Kumar and T. H.
Ngwisanyi). Presented at the 50th anniversary of the Geological Survey
of Botswana, 1998
PATENTS
Patent in signal/noise improvement for Induced Polarization
measurements. Submitted by Anaconda Minerals Company in 1989.
Patent in moisture sensing for irrigation purposes. Issued in 1996.
Summary
Information
Dr. Ed Wightman
Countries Worked In
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England, Ireland
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Australia
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Canada
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USA
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Nigeria
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Botswana
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Syria
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Japan
Languages
Experience
Mining Exploration
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12 years
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Hydrocarbons (seismic & non seismic)
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4 years
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Encironmental / Groundwater / Engineering
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12 years
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Geophysical Methods Used
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EM (airborne and ground)
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Induced Polarization (including Spectral)
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Gravity
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Ground Penetrating Radar
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Magnetics (airborne and ground)
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Loop-Loop EM for mining and environmental/groundwater.
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Resistivity (soundings, traverses, Numerous arrays)
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Refraction seismic recording and processing/interpretation
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Reflection seismic, processing
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Transient Electromagnetics, soundings and traverses
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