February 8, 2025

A three-day workshop on "Seismic Modeling and Migration using SeisRTM" was conducted at IIT (ISM), Dhanbad during February 8th to 10th, 2025. SeisRTM is an advanced and highly customizable Reverse Time Migration (RTM) software designed for efficient seismic imaging, by C-DAC Pune in collaboration with IIT Roorkee and ONGC as part of India's National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) under MeitY. The workshop was jointly organised by Seismic Data Processing (SDP), C-DAC Pune; Dept. of Applied Geophysics, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad and Dept. of Earth Sciences, IIT Roorkee. This workshop is the second in a series of workshops planned to be held at different institutes across India. The first workshop took place at IIT Roorkee on December 6th, 2024, and received an overwhelming response.

Over the three days, participants engaged in hands-on training and gained theoretical and practical insights into seismic imaging techniques. The sessions covered fundamental and advanced topics equipping attendees with experience in using SeisRTM for seismic data analysis. Further the event included talks by Prof. Sanjit Kumar Pal, Head of Applied Geophysics Dept., IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, Prof. Dheeraj Kumar, Deputy Director, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, Prof. Mritunjay Kumar Singh, Dean of Academics, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, Prof. Anand Joshi, Head of Earth Sciences Dept., IIT Roorkee, and Ms. Richa Rastogi, Scientist F, C-DAC Pune. The workshop aimed to broaden the software's reach, fostering its development while simultaneously advancing research and development in seismic imaging.

Day 1

Over 70 students attended the workshop held at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad. Prof. Sanjit Kumar Pal welcomed the attendees and emphasized the importance of SeisRTM as a state-of-the-art, highly customizable RTM software. During the inaugural session, the chief guest Prof. Dheeraj Kumar, Deputy Director, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, emphasized on the wide applications of the software. He said that while the workshop is mainly focused on seismology, it also has significant importance in mineral exploration, mineral processing, resource reserve estimation and recovery of mineral deposits. Prof. Kumar said that the world is now exploring non-destructive technologies in mineral exploration and geophysicists are being increasingly relied upon to add value to existing reserves.

The first day of the workshop introduced participants to fundamental topics such as basic LINUX and PBS commands, 2D model and geometry creation and generating seismic data using 2D isotropic modelling. Experts in the field shared their views, including an important presentation on seismic modelling by Ms. Richa Rastogi, Scientist F, C-DAC Pune. Ms. Nithu Mangalath, Senior Project Engineer, Ms. Sneha Bidve, Project Engineer and Shri. Bharath Krishnan, Project Engineer from C-DAC Pune conducted the hands-on session on SeisRTM Software.

Day 2

On the second day, Prof. Anand Joshi, Head, Department of Earth Sciences, IIT Roorkee, delivered an insightful lecture on the theoretical aspects of RTM. The lecture was informative, starting with an in-depth explanation of the basic theory behind seismic modeling and different types of seismic modeling techniques, highlighting their applications and differences. The presentation also demonstrated how seismic output varies across these modeling methods, providing clear examples of how data is generated and interpreted. Finally, the lecture concluded with a detailed discussion on reverse time migration, explaining its importance in imaging subsurface structures and its role in improving the accuracy of seismic data interpretation.

The hands-on session kicked off with seismic migration of previously generated seismic data along with post RTM utilities. The attendees were also given practical knowledge on job submission on HPC and different schedulers. A photo session was held midway through the workshop in front of the IIT (ISM) main building and the workshop venue.

Day 3

On the last day, the participants were provided with SEGY data for executing RTM application-focused discussions. The workshop concluded with a valedictory session graced by Prof. Mritunjay Kumar Singh. He focused on the importance of organising such workshops where students can get practical exposure. Prof. Singh highlighted the impact of powerful indigenous software's such as SeisRTM, developed under the NSM, in advancing technical expertise and research in seismic imaging. Prof. Sanjit Pal expressed gratitude to Prof. Sukumar Mishra, Director, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, Prof. Dheeraj Kumar, Deputy Director, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, and Prof. Mritunjay Kumar Singh for their continuous support. He also commended the organizing team for ensuring the workshop's seamless execution. Certificates were distributed to all participants by the dignitaries. The media coverage and publicity team at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad was incredibly supportive and resourceful.