The evolution of geoscientific software — The past, present, and future

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Geoscience software has kept pace with the rapidly changing evolution of both computer hardware and geoscience technology over the last 35 years. Advancements in scientific research, personal computers, operating systems, geophysical and remote sensing instruments, data storage, and computing power have all provided drivers for change. Measurements of physical properties of the Earth date back to ancient times but it wasn't until the 19th century that geophysics emerged as a discipline to understand our planet's shape, density and gravity field, the water cycle, plate tectonics, resource exploration and later, in the 20th century, for remote exploration of the solid Earth and the ocean. The first exploration magnetometers evolved from fluxgate magnetometers which had been used during World War II to detect submarines. Early geophysical maps were hand-contoured – a time consuming and tedious affair. The skill of the draftsperson was used to interpolate data between survey lines which could lead to variable results. When IBM first introduced the personal computer (PC) in 1981 they revolutionized computer technology. The 1980s became an explosive period of growth in the computer and software industry. Prior to this, companies hired in-house programmers to write software for their specific needs. With the advent of the PC, independent publishers and open architecture changed the face of software development. In 1982, Canadian earth scientists Colin Reeves and Ian MacLeod saw the potential for personal computers to transform the work of geophysics and exploration. From this early vision, Geosoft Inc. was established in 1986 and has developed to become the sustainable industry standard for geophysical data processing and analysis in multiple industry sectors. The computing power of PCs and laptops, combined with software, provided an efficient way to process, interpret, present and enhance large volumes of geophysical measurements of the Earth to create maps and models of the subsurface which could be seen, examined and discussed with others. When advancements such as Global Positioning Systems (GPS), originally created for military purposes, became accessible for civilian use, positioning of survey data vastly improved. Ground, airborne, and marine geophysical surveys could easily and accurately pinpoint anomalies using GPS. Geologists could now create pseudo-geologic maps from magnetic or resistivity images, along with the vast quantity of numerical data that was being collected by large arrays of other geophysical and remote sensing techniques. Geosoft's first software program was called MAGMOD, which modeled magnetic profiles over selected anomalies. In the early 1990's the “Sushi” menu-driven interface was developed. With the introduction of Windows 95, Sushi was replaced by the Oasis montaj graphical Windows interface and data structures in 1996 for powerful processing and interpretation of geophysical data. Oasis montaj has continued to evolve to provide an extensive suite of processing, modelling and analysis tools for a variety of geoscience and remote sensing data, encompassing geophysics, geology, geochemistry and GIS to provide advanced understanding of the Earth's subsurface and subsea environments. In 2012, Geosoft launched VOXI, a rapid and responsive solution for large, multi-parameter geophysical inversion modelling that harnesses the power of cloud computing. In the early 2000s, Seequent (formerly ARANZ Geo) was founded in Christchurch, New Zealand, with the development of ground-breaking medical 3D imaging technology, that offered a rapid and visual way of gaining accurate information for medical diagnostics. This implicit modelling technology was further developed and in 2004 was first applied to geological science. Offering a new approach to geological modelling, the software made the modelling process not only dramatically faster, but the 3D capabilities also made it highly visual and intuitive. The solution provided a paradigm shift in understanding the earth's subsurface, and quickly became well known as the flagship product called Leapfrog. In 2018, Seequent Limited and Geosoft Inc. joined forces, bringing together Leapfrog 3D geological modelling software with Geosoft's subsurface geoscience software. Today, Seequent is a global leader in the development of powerful geoscience analysis, modelling, and collaborative technologies that enable people to uncover valuable insights from data, creating rich stories and ultimately make better decisions about earth, environment, and energy challenges to address some of the world's biggest challenges.