Introduction to Geophysics

Catalog description

Geophysics is a branch of geosciences that deals with studying the subsurface from Earth’s surface or above it. Geophysical methods such as seismic refraction and electrical resistivity have been widely used in the industry for petroleum exploration. In this course, we use the same methods and same principles; however, the goal is to address environmental, engineering (civil), forensic and mineral exploration issues. Geophysics is a desirable substitute to direct sampling in most of the aforementioned cases. As a geophysicist, one must know how to conduct a survey using a variety of methods and how to interpret the data from these surveys. In this course, you will learn about the principles of a handful of methods and their application for studying subsurface problems. You will also learn how to conduct a successful survey and how to interpret the data based on the available ground-truth data. At the end of this course, you should be able to choose the right geophysical method for different scenarios. Prerequisite: one four-credit 100-level geology course, or one of ENVI 206, ENVI 234, or GEOL 234. Fall,