"…my interest in science was triggered firstly by the Apollo moon landings, and secondly by the TV program 'The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau'…"

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Mark Daly

Born in Liverpool UK, 1958
B.Sc. Geology with Geophysics

Liverpool University 1979

Field of work

Land Seismic Exploration

Areas of interest outside work

Music, basketball and family

I was born in Liverpool, in the North West of England in 1958. That’s right, where The Beatles come from, and also the world’s greatest soccer club, Liverpool FC. I spent all my formative years in this once mighty but sadly declining seaport. I was born at the start of the space age and my interest in science was triggered firstly by the Apollo moon landings, and secondly by the TV program “The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau”.

The combination of science and exploration, travel and adventure appealed to me greatly, and I became an avid reader of classic early science fiction authors such as Jules Verne and H.G.Wells. For my birthday presents I always asked for a telescope, microscope, or a chemistry set, and my parents were always supportive of my interests, for which I am eternally grateful. Strangely, the Fab Four did not spark my interest in music, it was learning to play the ‘cello at secondary school, and I went on to play with the school orchestra and the Merseyside Junior Youth orchestra. In the early 1970’s I became e a big fan of progressive rock and decided to learn the guitar at the same time. I took summer jobs in furniture warehouses to save up for my first electric guitar. I still play guitar but the ‘cello hasn’t emerged from its case in years.

My school education was twice interrupted by ill health as a child but I managed to get enough grades to be accepted at Liverpool University reading Geology with Geophysics, and I emerged with a Batchelor of Science Honors degree in 1979. I met my future wife at University, who was studying Archeology, and I think she finds me more interesting as I get older. The year 1979 was the start of the oil exploration boom and I joined Seismograph Service Ltd. (SSL) as a Junior Seismologist straight from University. Six months later I was transferred to a seismic data processing unit in the Sultanate of Oman. Oman was not on any tourist map back then and its oil resources were largely unexplored and underdeveloped. I spent two years there and realized my dream of combining science, travel, exploration and adventure. Whenever I had a day off I would hire a Land Rover with a friend and go “wadi-bashing” in the mountains. Any other spare time would be spent snorkeling or exploring the coast in a speedboat. I even learned to water-ski. My leave was spent traveling in Europe, Egypt and North America.

When I returned to England I got married and worked for SSL in an office in the beautiful surroundings of Holwood in Kent. The estate used to belong to a former Prime Minister of Britain, William Pitt, and was also the site of a Bronze Age hill fort, a Roman camp, and a medieval tile factory. After several years of seismic processing and software testing my musical ambitions got the better of me and I left to become self-employed musician, or a self-unemployed musician, as my wife would say. However despite being interviewed by two major record companies the all-important recording contract did not materialize, and so, in 1990 with our first-born child to look after, I rejoined the oil service industry. In 1993 my second son was born, the company was acquired by Schlumberger, and we moved house to Horsham, West Sussex, England.

Since then my job has involved all aspects of seismic exploration, from designing the seismic surveys themselves to the geophysical analysis of the results. I get to travel abroad once or twice a year to attend symposiums or technical meetings. I still play in a semi professional rock band and record music just for fun, and I help out local young musicians as part of the Horsham District Live Music Alliance. Although I’m still dogged by poor health I keep myself fit playing basketball and helping coach youngsters at football and cricket.