Dr. Paul Stoffa
Institute for Geophysics
John A.& Katherine G. Jackson School of Geosciences
The University of Texas at Austin

ABSTRACT
The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) specializes in research programs that involve acquisition of geophysical data from around the world. Some recent projects include high-resolution seismic data acquired off the East Coast of the United States in support of ONR's Geoclutter program and NSF funded high-resolution stratigraphic studies based on MCS data acquired offshore New Zealand. OBS and VSP data were just acquired as part of the recent ODP leg offshore Oregon on Hydrate Ridge, and OBS and MCS data acquisition are planned for the NSF funded cruise at The Hess Deep to study oceanic crust. OPP fieldwork continues in Antarctica with ground based GPR measurements this season. Geophysical data analysis studies include inversion of seismic data in a DOE supported reservoir characterization project and wave form inversion studies for teleseismic event discrimination funded by the DTRA. A NSF ITR project that combines UTIG, TICAM's CSM, and computer scientists from four universities in addressing how to assimilate and then use for prediction the data expected from the instrumented oil fields of the future. Planning is now underway for the new NSF science initiatives, Earthscope and IODP, where UTIG scientists anticipate new directions and sources of funding.