Nigerian Geophysicist Selected for NSF-Funded Pacific Expedition to Resolve Jurassic Quiet Zone

By Tosin Clegg

Basil Nwafor, a U.S.-based Nigerian geophysicist and PhD researcher at the University of Houston, has completed a United State’s federally funded international marine geophysics expedition to the Jurassic Quiet Zone (JQZ) in the North Pacific Ocean, contributing to U.S.-led scientific efforts to resolve long-standing questions about the origin of Earth’s ancient oceanic crust and geomagnetic field.
Nwafor participated in research cruise SKQ202418S aboard the U.S. research vessel R/V Sikuliaq from December 11, 2024 to January 8, 2025. The expedition departed from Honolulu, Hawaii, and concluded in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. The project was funded by the National Science Foundation under Award OCE-2221814, titled “Collaborative Research: Resolving the Origin of the Jurassic Quiet Zone” .
Nwafor was selected to join the expedition based on his specialized expertise in seismic data processing and interpretation. He worked alongside scientists from the United States, Germany, India, and Japan aboard the R/V Sikuliaq, supporting survey design, onboard quality control, and near-real-time seismic processing during data acquisition.
According to an official report published by the University of Houston, Nwafor—together with other principal scientists aboard the vessel—was responsible for ensuring that seismic, bathymetric, and related geophysical data were properly acquired throughout the expedition, a task critical to the scientific success of deep-ocean seismic surveys.
The Jurassic Quiet Zone is a vast region of the Pacific seafloor where magnetic anomaly patterns—normally used to reconstruct seafloor spreading history—are weak or absent. This has limited the development of a robust geomagnetic and tectonic framework for the Jurassic period.
According to William Sager, a principal investigator for the expedition and a professor of geophysics, the project targets one of the most fundamental records of Earth’s geologic history.
“We’re looking at the very oldest magnetic stripes because all the magnetic anomalies are a record of Earth’s field reversals,” Sager said.
Explaining the scientific objective of the seismic survey, Nwafor described how seismic imaging was used to directly constrain crustal structure.
“We were shooting seismic data to penetrate down through the sediments to see how deep the magnetic basement is,” Nwafor said.
Determining the depth and geometry of the magnetized basement is essential for accurately interpreting marine magnetic anomalies and reconstructing the history of Earth’s geomagnetic field.
The expedition’s chief scientist, Hannah F. Mark, a researcher at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, emphasized the broader significance of the work for the United States.
“This research will serve U.S. interests by advancing our understanding of Earth’s magnetic field for both basic research and strategic applications, and growing national and international scientific capacity,” the chief scientist said.
During the expedition, Nwafor also served in a technical geophysics watchstander role, involving responsibility for monitoring acoustic seafloor mapping systems, assisting with deployment of expendable bathythermograph (XBT) instruments to measure water temperature and sound-speed structure, and contributing to onboard processing of bathymetric and seismic reflection data.
Following the cruise, the international research team will undertake full post-cruise seismic processing, including velocity analysis, multiple suppression, migration, and integration with existing magnetic and gravity datasets. Results from the study are expected to refine models of Jurassic-age seafloor spreading and contribute to broader understanding of Earth system evolution.
About Basil Nwafor
Basil Nwafor is a PhD researcher in geophysics at the University of Houston specializing in seismic imaging, seismic processing, and subsurface characterization. His research spans fundamental Earth science and applied geophysics, with contributions to federally funded U.S. research programs and international scientific collaborations.