Scientific Software Development / Electrical Geophysics & Engineering / Project Management

Sferic? What's with the name?

The company was called  "Sferic" for a number of reasons:

(a) it is a term related to our core business in Geophysics and Engineering;
(b) it was available as a Domain name and an Australian Company name;
(c) it is short (most 3 & 4 letter acronyms have been snapped up);
(d) it is always fun listening to people try to pronounce it (the same as spheric), let alone spell it.

The definitions below indicate that sferics can be considered as a source of natural radiation (or signal for natural source geophysics) and as a consequence are often considered to be noise in controlled source geophysics. We prefer the first option, but can live with the latter which gives rise to a number of lame company slogans such as "Making a noise in Geophysics". (Of course a good geophysicist can manage noise in any data set.)

Definitions

sferics - Natural “atmospheric” fluctuations of the electromagnetic field, generally at frequencies from 1 to 105Hz, caused by lightning discharges. See Schumann resonance. Also spelled spherics.

Schumann resonance - An electromagnetic waveguide phenomenon between the Earth and the ionosphere; the space between acts as a cavity resonator. Frequencies of the lowest-order modes are about 8, 14, 20, and 26Hz.

Sheriff, R.E., 1994, Encyclopedic Dictionary of Exploration Geophysics, Third Edition, Geophysical References Series 1, Society of Exploration Geophysicists, Second Printing, 1994.

sferics also spherics (sfîr´îks, sfèr´-) noun (used with a sing. verb)
1. The study of atmospherics, especially using electronic detectors.
2. See atmospherics.
[Shortening and alteration of atmospherics.]

atmospherics (àt´me-sfèr´îks, -sfîr´-) noun
1. (used with a sing. verb). a. Electromagnetic radiation produced by natural phenomena such as lightning. b. Radio interference produced by electromagnetic radiation. Also called sferics.
2. (used with a pl. verb). a. Features, events, or statements intended to create a particular mood or attitude. b. A consciously created mood or attitude, often without substantive basis: "Soviet sensitivities are not so tender; their calculations are based on an assessment of their interests, not on atmospherics" (Henry A. Kissinger).

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition copyright © 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Electronic version licensed from INSO Corporation. All rights reserved.

sfer.ics n pl [by shortening & alter.] (1945): atmospherics

at.mo.spher.ics n pl (1915) 1: audible disturbances produced in radio receiving apparatus by atmospheric electrical phenomena (as lightning); also: the electrical phenomena causing these disturbances 2: actions (as official statements) intended to create or suggest a particular atmosphere or mood in politics and esp. international relations; also: the mood so created or suggested 3: realistic detail added (as to a literary work) to create a mood

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary
Copyright (c) 1994 Merriam-Webster, Inc. All Rights Reserved

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Last modified: 15-Jun-2009