Michael Schoenberg facts for kids

Michael Schoenberg (1939–2008) was an American scientist. He studied geophysics, which is the science of Earth's physical processes. He was known for his important ideas about how rocks and the ground behave.

His work helped us understand anisotropy. This means how properties like strength or how waves travel can be different depending on the direction. He applied this to study rocks deep underground. This helped find out about fractures and tiny spaces in rocks. These details are very important for finding oil and gas reservoirs.

Michael Schoenberg's Career

Michael Schoenberg earned his Ph.D. in applied mechanics in 1965. This was from Columbia University in New York. After that, he taught and did research. He worked at several universities. These included the City College of New York and New York University. He also worked at Tel-Aviv University and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Working at Schlumberger

In 1978, he joined Schlumberger Doll Research. This company studies how to find and produce oil and gas. He worked on using elastic waves to explore underground. Elastic waves are like sound waves that travel through the Earth. He used them for borehole acoustic logging. This is a way to measure properties of rocks in a well. He also worked on vertical seismic profiling and surface seismic methods.

In 1990, he moved to Schlumberger Cambridge Research in the U.K.. There, he focused on using surface seismic to map what's beneath the ground. This helps scientists understand the Earth's layers.

Key Research and Awards

One of his most important papers was in 1980. It was about how elastic waves behave when they cross certain surfaces. This paper has been very useful in geophysics. It helps scientists find fractures in rocks. It also helps in materials science and ultrasonic testing. Ultrasonic testing uses sound waves to check materials without damaging them.

In 1997, he received a special award. It was the Conrad Schlumberger Award from the EAGE. This award recognized his big contributions to seismic anisotropy. His work helped find faults and fractures. It also improved how scientists identify different types of rocks. The Conrad Schlumberger Award is given to someone who has greatly advanced geosciences, especially geophysics. He was also a main speaker at a big meeting in Tokyo in 1998.

Later Years and Legacy

Michael Schoenberg retired from Schlumberger in 1999. However, he kept doing research. He worked with scientists around the world. From 2000 to 2003, he visited CSIRO and Curtin University of Technology in Australia. He advised a research program there. He also gave lectures on how waves travel through fractured rocks.

Michael Schoenberg passed away on August 29, 2008. He made lasting contributions to understanding the Earth's subsurface. His work continues to help scientists today.