Dr. Uzonna Anyiam’s focus as a geophysicist is in the study of earthquakes triggered by onshore and offshore human activities such as hydraulic fracturing for shale gas development, CO2 sequestration, enhanced oil recovery, dissolution mining of salt, and geothermal resource development using double difference tomography for improved subsurface imaging. His integrated basin analysis research employs well data, core data and 3D reflection seismic data in conducting attribute-assisted seismic interpretation, reservoir characterization and prospect evaluation.

Uzonna’s courses include How the Earth Works and lab sections of his department’s introductory geology course, The Planet Earth. Students in his classes learn through research-informed teaching and data-driven analysis that imparts exceptional skill in the use of industry software and knowledge of integrated data analysis, algorithm development and equipment calibration.

He joined the faculty at Hope College in mid-2022. During his graduate study he taught geology and seismic interpretation classes, including teaching hands-on skills in use of industry software, as he does with students at Hope. He was involved in university-based research sponsored by oil companies that explored oil and gas fields to identify potential drilling sites in the Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of West Africa, as well as induced seismicity research sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China in Sichuan Basin. His early research as a college graduate in his native Nigeria included a hydrogeophysical project that resulted in clean water supplies for improved sanitation for more than eight communities.

Uzonna is a member of eight professional organizations, including the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, the American Geophysical Union (and its counterparts in Nigeria, China and Europe), the National Association of Black Geoscientists, and the Society of Exploration Geophysicists. He serves as a reviewer for two academic journals in his field.

Areas of Expertise

• Integrated basin analysis
  
• Geophysical and geological characterization of oil and gas reservoirs
  
• Subsurface sequestration of CO2
  
• Monitoring of induced seismicity caused by shale gas development, salt mining, geothermal resource development and carbon capture and storage (CCS)
  
• Advance seismic processing and imaging
  
• Near surface geophysical investigations for smart city development

Honors, Grants & Awards

• SLB’s Geophysical Software Grant of Petrel, Techlog, PetroMod and GeoX packages, valued at $30,675,359 (2023)
  
• NASA Michigan Space Grant, $5,000 (2023–2024)
  
• The China Geoscience Joint Academic Conference Student Outstanding Thesis Award (2023)

Education

• Ph.D., geophysics, University of Science and Technology of China (Hefei, China), 2022
• M.S., geology, Oklahoma State University, 2015
• B.T., geophysics, Federal University of Technology (Owerri, Nigeria), 2008

Selected Recent Publications and Presentations

• “Crustal structure and seismicity characteristics based on dense array monitoring in northwestern Yunnan, China,” with Ying Cao, Mingpei Jin, Jiawei Qian and Jia Chen, Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, 340, July 2023
• “Enhanced 3D velocity structure, seismicity relocation and basement characterization of Changning shale gas and salt mining regions in southern Sichuan basin,” with H. Zhang, Y. Tan, J. Qian, L. Gao, Y. Liu, K. Zuo and C. Zhao, Frontiers in Earth Science, 10:1082122, 2023
• “3D Seismic Attribute-assisted Stratigraphic Framework and Depositional Setting Characterization of Frontier Miocene to Pliocene Aged Agbada Formation Reservoirs, Deep Offshore Niger Delta Basin” (with E. Uzuegbu), Marine and Petroleum Geology, 2020
• “Integrated Characterization and Prospect Evaluation of East Cameron Block, Offshore Louisiana: Using 3D Seismic and Well Data,” presentation at the SEG Virtual International Exposition and Annual Meeting, Houston, 2020
• “3-D High-resolution Seismic Characterization of Deep Offshore Niger Delta Basin: What’s New” (with E. Uzuegbu and S. Igbokwe), SEG Expanded Abstracts, 2018
• “Reservoir Characterization of the ‘Bawi Field,’ Greater Ughelli Depobelt, Niger Delta, Nigeria Using 3-D Attributes Assisted Seismic Interpretation” (with A. I Opara et al.), Journal of Petroleum and Coal, 2018

Outside the College

Uzonna enjoys playing soccer and tennis, as well as spending quality time with his wife and children. He also loves shopping, cooking and worshiping God with guitar and piano.