Manuel J.S. Matias obtained a degree in Engineering at Coimbra University, Portugal, in 1978, and a PhD in Applied Geophysics at the University of Leeds, UK, in 1984.At present, he is Professor of Applied Geophysics at the University of Aveiro, Portugal. His main interests are the application of Geophysics to Mining, Groundwater and the Environment. More recently, he started applying Geophysics to Historical Buildings and Conservation. He is a Platinum Member of the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE) and former Chairman of the EAGE Near Surface Division