<p>I have limited experience with the different SEG file formats and I was hoping if someone could shed some light on the current preffered file formats used in software applications and for sharing seismic data please? My current understanding is that the following 3 formats are predominantly used:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>SEG-Y: a flexible and widely supported format used by different applications. Recently updated and widely documented. The go to format for processing and sharing?</p>
</li>
<li><p>SEG-D: a stricter format and (only?) used for data acquistion.</p>
</li>
<li><p>SEG-2: less documentation available and less widely supported. A depreciated / obsolete format?</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p>Any corrections or clarifications, especially on the use of the SEG-2 format, would be much appreicated.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-01-29T04:16:31.497Z
Your understanding is correct. Is not an issue that SEG-2 has less documentation, is just the older one without modifications. The most supported one is SEG-Y (that is constantly adapted) and SEG-D is just for Tape recording, so field data. There are many apps to convert SEG-2 format to SEG-Y, even a lot of code to do it on Python, C++. Google it.
David García Bodego
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-02-01T14:49:46.630Z
@DavidGarcíaBodego thanks for the response. Yes, when googling for the SEG-2 format the majority of the results seem to be for converting the format to SEG-Y and other formats. That and the lack of updates to the SEG-2 format compared with other SEG formats has led me to believe that the format is effectively obsolete, hence my question.
MJ_Wales
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-02-02T05:45:55.453Z
it is not obsolete, as it is the most extended one (all seismograph can work with it) but not the most convenient.
David García Bodego
<geophysics><seismology><seismic><open-data><data-formats>
SEG-2 vs SEG-Y file formats
MJ_Wales
# SEG-2 vs SEG-Y file formats

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-01-22)

I have limited experience with the different SEG file formats and I was hoping if someone could shed some light on the current preffered file formats used in software applications and for sharing seismic data please? My current understanding is that the following 3 formats are predominantly used:

1. SEG-Y: a flexible and widely supported format used by different applications. Recently updated and widely documented. The go to format for processing and sharing?
2. SEG-D: a stricter format and (only?) used for data acquistion.
3. SEG-2: less documentation available and less widely supported. A depreciated / obsolete format?

Any corrections or clarifications, especially on the use of the SEG-2 format, would be much appreicated.

**Tags:** geophysics, seismology, seismic, open-data, data-formats

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Your understanding is correct. Is not an issue that SEG-2 has less documentation, is just the older one without modifications. The most supported one is SEG-Y (that is constantly adapted) and SEG-D is just for Tape recording, so field data. There are many apps to convert SEG-2 format to SEG-Y, even a lot of code to do it on Python, C++. Google it.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 thanks for the response. Yes, when googling for the SEG-2 format the majority of the results seem to be for converting the format to SEG-Y and other formats. That and the lack of updates to the SEG-2 format compared with other SEG formats has led me to believe that the format is effectively obsolete, hence my question.  
> **username_1**: it is not obsolete, as it is the most extended one (all seismograph can work with it) but not the most convenient.  

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## 0 answers

