segyio
Simple & fast IO for SEG-Y files
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you work with SEG-Y seismic data and need straightforward Python access. The package is stable (Production/Stable status), has no known vulnerabilities, and carries minimal dependencies. Install friction is moderate due to C bindings, but pre-built wheels are available for common platforms. The copyleft license (LGPL-3.0-or-later) requires derivative works to remain open-source; review this if you plan to modify or embed the library in proprietary code. Maintenance is aging (255 days since last release), so expect slower response to new issues.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires a C compiler and development headers at build time if wheels are unavailable for your platform; Python >=3.10 required.
- Medium install friction due to compiled C bindings, but pre-built wheels cover Python 3.10–3.12 across macOS, Linux, and Windows architectures.
- Last release was 255 days ago; repository is active and not archived, though maintenance status is aging.
License · maintenance · safety
LGPL-3.0-or-later (copyleft) — Licensed under LGPL-3.0-or-later (copyleft). Any derivative work or modification must remain open-source under the same license; proprietary applications cannot link statically without compliance review.
last release 2025-12-02 (255 days) · last repo commit 2025-12-03 · 581 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 210,953 downloads/mo, #9,486 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install segyio
import segyio
import numpy as np
with segyio.open('file.sgy') as f:
traces = np.array([f.trace[i] for i in range(f.tracecount)])- Whether segyio handles SEG-Y variants beyond the documented assumptions (uniform trace length, uniform traces-per-line) without data loss or corruption.
- Performance characteristics for large files (file size thresholds, memory usage patterns).
- Compatibility with non-standard or legacy SEG-Y dialects used in specific geophysical workflows.
What it is and what it does
Segyio is a Python binding to a lightweight C library for reading and writing SEG-Y formatted seismic data files. It provides low-level access to binary headers, textual headers, individual traces, and trace metadata with a native Python interface that integrates with numpy. The library makes assumptions to keep the implementation simple—all traces in a file must have the same sample size, and all lines must have the same number of traces—and is designed primarily for modifying or adapting existing files rather than creating fully spec-compliant files from scratch.
The package targets geophysicists, seismic data processors, and embedded applications that need straightforward SEG-Y interaction without the complexity of a full-featured geophysical framework. It has been in production use since 2016 and supports current Python versions (3.10–3.14). The single runtime dependency is numpy, keeping the footprint minimal.
Use it for
- Load seismic survey data from SEG-Y files into numpy arrays for analysis and visualization in Jupyter notebooks or scientific pipelines.
- Extract and modify trace headers and binary metadata from SEG-Y files for quality control or data preprocessing workflows.
- Batch convert or resample seismic traces by reading SEG-Y, processing in numpy, and writing modified traces back to disk.
- Integrate SEG-Y file access into custom geophysical applications or embedded systems without heavyweight dependencies.
- Inspect and validate SEG-Y file structure and geometry before feeding data into specialized seismic processing software.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you work with SEG-Y seismic data and need straightforward Python access.
The package is stable (Production/Stable status), has no known vulnerabilities, and carries minimal dependencies. Install friction is moderate due to C bindings, but pre-built wheels are available for common platforms. The copyleft license (LGPL-3.0-or-later) requires derivative works to remain open-source; review this if you plan to modify or embed the library in proprietary code. Maintenance is aging (255 days since last release), so expect slower response to new issues.
Install
segyio on PyPI
Before you install
Medium install friction due to compiled C bindings, but pre-built wheels cover Python 3.10–3.12 across macOS, Linux, and Windows architectures. Last release was 255 days ago; repository is active and not archived, though maintenance status is aging.
Requires a C compiler and development headers at build time if wheels are unavailable for your platform; Python >=3.10 required.
License in practice
Licensed under LGPL-3.0-or-later (copyleft). Any derivative work or modification must remain open-source under the same license; proprietary applications cannot link statically without compliance review.
Quickstart
pip install segyio
import segyio
import numpy as np
with segyio.open('file.sgy') as f:
traces = np.array([f.trace[i] for i in range(f.tracecount)])Verify before relying
- Whether segyio handles SEG-Y variants beyond the documented assumptions (uniform trace length, uniform traces-per-line) without data loss or corruption.
- Performance characteristics for large files (file size thresholds, memory usage patterns).
- Compatibility with non-standard or legacy SEG-Y dialects used in specific geophysical workflows.
Package facts
| License | LGPL-3.0-or-later copyleft |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.10 |
| Install friction | Medium. Platform-specific wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 1 packagenumpy |
| Maintenance | Aging 255 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 210,953 / month, #9,486 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableEnvironment :: Other EnvironmentIntended Audience :: DevelopersIntended Audience :: Science/ResearchNatural Language :: EnglishProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Topic :: Scientific/EngineeringTopic :: Scientific/Engineering :: PhysicsTopic :: Software Development :: LibrariesTopic :: Utilities |
Evidence: segyio-1.9.14-cp310-cp310-macosx_10_9_x86_64.whl; segyio-1.9.14-cp310-cp310-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; segyio-1.9.14-cp310-cp310-manylinux_2_24_aarch64.manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl; segyio-1.9.14-cp310-cp310-manylinux_2_24_x86_64.manylinux_2_28_x86_64.whl; segyio-1.9.14-cp310-cp310-manylinux_2_26_i686.manylinux_2_28_i686.whl; segyio-1.9.14-cp310-cp310-win32.whl; segyio-1.9.14-cp310-cp310-win_amd64.whl; segyio-1.9.14-cp311-cp311-macosx_10_9_x86_64.whl; segyio-1.9.14-cp311-cp311-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; segyio-1.9.14-cp311-cp311-manylinux_2_24_aarch64.manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl; segyio-1.9.14-cp311-cp311-manylinux_2_24_x86_64.manylinux_2_28_x86_64.whl; segyio-1.9.14-cp311-cp311-manylinux_2_26_i686.manylinux_2_28_i686.whl; segyio-1.9.14-cp311-cp311-win32.whl; segyio-1.9.14-cp311-cp311-win_amd64.whl; segyio-1.9.14-cp312-cp312-macosx_10_13_x86_64.whl; segyio-1.9.14-cp312-cp312-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; segyio-1.9.14-cp312-cp312-manylinux_2_24_aarch64.manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl; segyio-1.9.14-cp312-cp312-manylinux_2_24_x86_64.manylinux_2_28_x86_64.whl; segyio-1.9.14-cp312-cp312-manylinux_2_26_i686.manylinux_2_28_i686.whl; segyio-1.9.14-cp312-cp312-win32.whl
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See also xtgeo · obspy · georss-ign-sismologia-client · keke · aiofile · pyjls · pygtail · openseespy · pyorc · kaldi-python-io