625-304 Applied Geophysics

Earth sciences 625-102.

The teaching of this subject follows these principles:

• The users of geophysical data (geologists, engineers, lawyers, accountants) need to know how geophysics should be done and what can be expected of the results. Geophysicists, in turn, need to know what the users will expect of them.

• The basis for a common understanding between geophysicists and the users of geophysical data lies in the formalisation of the exploration process, based on the scientific method, rather than a detailed understanding of the underlying mathematics.

• Modern computing technologies make it possible to use realistic modelling and simulation of the exploration process to teach by doing.

The subject is broken into modules, each dealing with one exploration method (gravity, magnetics, resistivity, and seismic) while avoiding all but the most elementary mathematics. Students learn the relevant physics at an intuitive level with the aid of a series of forward-modelling exercises presented in the context of responding to client-specific problems in the form of 'requests for bid'. Students learn by designing, conducting, and interpreting geophysical surveys that yield the greatest benefit-to-cost ratio. While completing these tasks, students learn how geophysicists think, what they do, and how much to trust their conclusions.

A 1.5-hour end-of-semester written examination; four assignment reports of 1500-2000 words each.