Yaoguo Li

Yaoguo Li is a Professor in the Department of Geophysics at the Colorado School of Mines, serving since 1999 (Associate Professor 1999–2016; Professor 2016–present). He co-directs the Center for Gravity, Electrical and Magnetic Studies and serves as Associate Editor for Geophysics (2011–present), with extensive committee leadership including Graduate Advisory Committee Chair (2006–2009, 2016–present).

His educational background includes a Ph.D. in Geophysics from the University of British Columbia (Canada) and a B.A.Sc. in Geophysics from Wuhan College of Geology (China).

• Ph.D., Geophysics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
• B.A.Sc., Geophysics, Wuhan College of Geology, Wuhan, China

Professor Li pioneers geophysical inversion methodologies, specializing in practical 3D reconstruction algorithms for gravity, magnetic, DC resistivity, and induced polarization data. His research bridges resource exploration, environmental remediation, and groundwater management through innovations like interior-point optimization and wavelet-based numerical techniques. Current emphases include joint inversion with petrophysical constraints, time-lapse (4D) reservoir monitoring, remanent magnetization compensation, and UXO discrimination in magnetic environments.

His scientific recognition spans SEG Honorary Membership (2017), SERDP Project of the Year (2007), multiple SEG Best Student Paper Awards as advisor, and four Outstanding Teacher Awards. Technical leadership includes the Gerald Hohmann Award for Applied Electrical Methods (1999) and repeated Best Paper Honorable Mentions in Geophysics.

• Society of Exploration Geophysicists Honorary Membership (2017)
• SERDP Project of the Year MM-1414 (2007)
• SEG Best Student Paper Awards (2004, 2005)
• Four Outstanding Teacher Awards (2001, 2005)
• Gerald Hohmann Award (1999)

As an advisor, he mentored award-winning students including K. Davis and R. Krahenbuhl, with research funded by SERDP, DoD, and industry partnerships focused on geothermal monitoring, advanced UXO detection, and reservoir engineering parameter extraction. His laboratory work centers on gravity gradiometry applications and rapid inversion techniques using adaptive octrees and Hilbert curves.

He co-leads the Center for Gravity, Electrical and Magnetic Studies, driving collaborative projects in magnetic vector inversion, multi-component gradient data processing, and time-lapse aquifer monitoring through interdisciplinary teams spanning geophysics, mathematics, and engineering disciplines.