About Us

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NAEVA Geophysics, Inc. is a small business service company that conducts geophysical surveys for subsurface investigations, primarily associated with environmental assessment and remediation. Geophysical methods harnessed include magnetics, electromagnetics, ground penetrating radar (GPR), and seismic methods. NAEVA has developed and demonstrated expertise at conducting digital geophysical mapping for locating potential unexploded ordnance (UXO) on active military bases or formerly used defense sites (FUDS). Additionally, NAEVA routinely participates in environmental projects utilizing geophysics to locate lost underground storage tanks, buried drums of potentially hazardous waste, underground utility location, and landfill investigations.

NAEVA’s management and staff of geophysicists and geologists have extensive experience in geophysical survey design, data acquisition, as well as data processing and interpretation. NAEVA’s history of successful project performance allows us to offer quality services using a suite of geophysical methods. Our clients request our professional services for identifying subsurface conditions in wide range of environmental, groundwater, and UXO remediation projects.

NAEVA provides integrated geophysical services to make every project successful from project planning and design, to data collection and analysis, to delivery of the final report in a timely manner. Our field teams have performed digital geophysical mapping over thousands of acres in all types of terrain conditions. NAEVA’s geophysical processors utilize state-of-the-art data analysis and modeling programs to provide detailed data interpretation, documentation, and maps. Our senior staff has developed and written multiple approved proposals, project work plans, and final reports. Contact us today to see how we can help your project become a success story.

NAEVA Geophysics, Inc., headquartered in Charlottesville, VA, is a direct descendant of its former parent company, North American Exploration of Virginia (NAEVA), and prior to that, North American Exploration, Inc. (NAE). The original parent company, NAE, was founded in 1964 by Dr. Robert “Bob” S. Young, a native of Charlottesville, VA. He held BA and MA degrees from the University of Virginia and a PhD degree in Geology from Cornell University. During the period of 1959-69, he served as Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Assistant Dean at the University of Virginia. Dr. Young was a distinguished expert in applying geochemistry, structural analysis, and geophysics to the field of mineral exploration for economic ore bodies. He founded NAE as a consulting/service company to provide mineral exploration services to the mining industry. Early exploration projects included base and precious metal exploration in New England, the Southeast, and the Great Basin of the western United States. These projects were followed by an extensive lignite coal exploration program in the Gulf Coast/Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States on behalf of Phillips Petroleum Company,  one of the largest mineral exploration programs conducted at that time. 

In 1980, Bob Young sold NAE to O. Jay Gatten, an independent consulting geologist from Kaysville, Utah and former executive with Phillips Petroleum Company. A western office of NAE was opened in Utah to offer similar mineral exploration field services to clients in the western states. In addition to the lignite coal exploration program in the early 1980’s, an equally extensive oil shale exploration program for Phillips Petroleum Company in the central US was performed. Also, beginning in 1980, NAE embarked on a world class diamond exploration program for Exmin Corporation of Bloomington, Indiana. Exploration services that NAE performed included geological mapping, geophysical surveying, and geochemical sampling throughout numerous states and provinces in the US and Canada. The program lasted 20 years and was one of the largest “hardrock” mineral exploration programs ever conducted in the United States.

In 1993, NAE opened an office in Rockland County, New York to perform subsurface detection services for urban environmental remediation and formed a subsidiary called North American Exploration of Virginia (NAEVA) which consisted of the Charlottesville and New York offices. Both offices experienced slow but steady growth in the environmental geophysics field. In 1996, John Allan, an employee of 21 years, purchased the NAEVA subsidiary and renamed the company NAEVA Geophysics, Inc. with the intent to focus on environmental geophysics. Throughout the late 1990’s and early 2000’s NAEVA experienced dramatic growth by specializing in digital geophysical mapping on active or former military bases around the globe. Such surveys typically detect potentially unexploded ordnance items (UXO) that may pose a threat to human safety. Programs of this nature have been carried out at Fort Ritchie, Fort Pickett, Fort Ord, Adak Island, Alaska, Camp Elliott, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Fort Dix, Massachusetts Military Reservation, Hawaii, Vieques, Puerto Rico, and Bavaria, Germany. In 2020, the company entered a new chapter by coming under the leadership of Karen Lemley, an experienced geophysicist and 20-year veteran of NAEVA.

Today, NAEVA Geophysics, Inc., established as a national leader in the field of geophysical subsurface detection, plans to continue its growth and expansion and continue leading the way in performing superior geophysical surveys for environmental assessments, with continued training and investment in the emerging methods and technology that will shape the field of geophysics in the future.