Adventure, dust, dirt, skills and gear: CAGE23
CAGE2023 Attendees and Demonstrators at Wave Rock Katter Kich on Ballardong country, Hyden. Image: Erin Tuohino, CAGE attendee
The Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists’ CAGE2023 took 25 early-career geologists and geophysicists to Forrestania and Hyden on Ballardong country, WA. Over seven days, the students collected, modelled and interpreted an array of electromagnetic, seismic, and resistivity data. We asked Dr Kate Brand and Dr Kate Selway for their reflections on the 2023 Camp for Applied Geophysics Excellence!
Welcome, and congratulations on the success of CAGE 23! What drives you to design, develop and run the annual CAGE camp?
Kate Brand: We set up the Camp for Applied Geophysics Excellence (CAGE) through ASEG because we believe that exposure to field geophysics is vital to understanding geophysical data, both for geophysicists and geologists.
With the loss of field geophysics teaching in many Australian universities, we could see this as a big skills gap in the emerging workforce.
CAGE attendees were introduced to seismic data acquisition by Ian James before setting out to acquire the data themselves. Image: Mikayla Sambrooks
How does exposure to field geophysics benefit participants' understanding of geophysical data and their future careers?
Kate Brand: It really helped to demystify geophysics for the participants. It’s hard to fully understand and appreciate a geophysical model on a computer screen without seeing the geology, understanding how the data was acquired or processed, or where the uncertainties sneak in. CAGE offers the opportunity to do all of these things.
I believe it provides the ‘penny-drop’ moment where the bits and pieces learnt along the way during university education are all pieced together.
CAGE can also help the attendees see the parts of being a geophysicist that really appeals to them - are they more applied or theoretical? Several of this year's attendees expressed doubts about whether geophysics was the right path for them, but CAGE confirmed that it was.
Could you share some examples of how participants developed their skills and knowledge during the week-long program?
Kate Selway: CAGE has been described as ‘farm-to-table’ geophysics training, so the participants learned how to collect geophysical data, process and model the data, and then finally integrate those models with petrophysical and geological data to produce interpretations of the subsurface.
The skills they learned ranged from risk assessments and software packages to mining camp etiquette and how to best keep flies off your sandwich.
It’s a very ambitious program, but the participants were so enthusiastic and hard-working that they produced impressive results.
Collaboration and teamwork are essential components of CAGE. Can you elaborate on how participants worked together in data collection and interpretation and how this contributed to their overall experience?
Kate Selway: One of the most exciting parts of CAGE is seeing how the participants work together as a team. The participants have had little previous experience at field geophysics, but beyond that, their backgrounds range widely - some have a strong theoretical and computational geophysics background, while others are geologists with little geophysical knowledge at all.
At all stages of the program, be it field work, modelling, interpretation, sleeping in a swag or talking to an industry leader, some participants are nervous and learning something for the first time while others feel more confident and knowledgeable. The CAGE cohort builds such a camaraderie as they support and help each other as they learn. It’s fantastic to see them pool their skills and knowledge to find solutions to problems.
Team ‘Pentlandite’ present their interpretation of their models and proposed drilling locations to the rest of the CAGE group. Image:
What makes CAGE possible?
Kate Brand: CAGE is an initiative of (and partially funded by) the Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists. However, CAGE simply would not be sustainable if it were up to ASEG alone.
The number of offers of in-kind support blew us away - to the point where we had to turn down several offers! In-kind support ranged from sending demonstrators along, equipment, software licencing, vehicles, and much, much more.
We are also incredibly grateful for the many generous financial sponsors, including AuScope of course! And last but certainly not least, we simply could not run CAGE without the amazing team of volunteers who donate so much of their valuable spare time.
Finally, can you share any testimonials or feedback from participants, instructors, or volunteers?
Kate Brand: The feedback from attendees was phenomenal. There’s a lot of feedback I’d love to share, but here is one:
“Prior to my experience at CAGE, I had reservations about entering the field of geophysics, given the predominantly theoretical nature of university education. However, the hands-on learning approach at CAGE was precisely what I needed to bridge the gap between theory and real-world applications.
What truly made the CAGE experience exceptional was the support and guidance from the instructors and fellow participants. Learning about various career options from both the instructors and fellow participants opened up new avenues for my future.”
– Anonymous
INTERVIEW
A conversation between Dr Kate Brand (ASEG), Dr Kate Selway (Vox Geophysics) and Philomena Manifold (AuScope)
FURTHER INFORMATION
You can learn more about the Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists at their website or sign up for membership (students are free).
