Data Services Newsletter

Volume 17 : No 2 : Winter 2015

Forrest Thompson- Operations

I joined the Operations group at the IRIS DMC in June 2015. I work with network operators to get their real-time seismic data flowing to the DMC, and work on software the DMC has to manage that data flow and peripheral operations on the data.

I grew up in Monterey, CA. After getting an M.A. in Physics at UCSC and an M.S. in Geophysics at UCSD/IGPP, I went on to work in geophysical exploration software in Texas for 8 years. That eventually brought me to Kirkland, WA working for Sierra Geophysics on their advanced 3D seismic data Interpretation system. When that company moved back to Houston I stayed in the Seattle area and worked for a decade in wireless call processing, and another decade for The Walt Disney Company doing Internet back end services. I’m married and have 4 kids: a doctor, an atmospheric scientist, an industrial designer, and a freshman statistics major at UW.

I recently resolved to make a career change back to a science related job and also simplify my commute, so was pleased to find the DMC close by and return to work in Geophysics, albeit as a software person. The group here is fun to work with, and it’s nice to have a finger on the pulse of the earth again!

Forrest Thompson

by Forrest Thompson (IRIS)

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