Who pioneered seismic prospecting?

Who pioneered seismic prospecting?

• A. Everett DeGolyer
• B. Thomas Edison
• C. Henry Ford
• D. George Westinghouse

Answer: (A)

Seismic prospecting uses controlled energy to send waves into the ground and records their reflections to image subsurface rocks, helping locate oil traps. The first major push to apply this technique specifically to petroleum exploration came from Everett DeGolyer. He recognized how seismic surveys could dramatically reduce dry holes and improve discovery success, pushing for systematic use of reflection seismology in the industry during the 1920s and beyond. His leadership, research, and subsequent work through geophysical firms helped turn seismic prospecting from an experimental idea into a standard, widely adopted tool in oil exploration. The other names listed are famous inventors in unrelated fields— Edison in electricity, Ford in automobiles, Westinghouse in engineering—whose innovations did not center on seismic methods.

Seismic prospecting uses controlled energy to send waves into the ground and records their reflections to image subsurface rocks, helping locate oil traps. The first major push to apply this technique specifically to petroleum exploration came from Everett DeGolyer. He recognized how seismic surveys could dramatically reduce dry holes and improve discovery success, pushing for systematic use of reflection seismology in the industry during the 1920s and beyond. His leadership, research, and subsequent work through geophysical firms helped turn seismic prospecting from an experimental idea into a standard, widely adopted tool in oil exploration.

The other names listed are famous inventors in unrelated fields— Edison in electricity, Ford in automobiles, Westinghouse in engineering—whose innovations did not center on seismic methods.