GE 3040
Fundamentals of Applied and Environmental Geophysics
Spring 2011

Instructor: Dr. Jimmy F. Diehl
Room: 428 Dow Environmental Sciences and Engineering
Telephone: 487-2665
email: jdiehl@mtu.edu
Text: Introduction to Applied Geophysics by H. Robert Burger, Anne F. Sheehan, and Craig H. Jones

 

Topic

Reading

I.

Introduction [1 lecture]

Chapter 1

II.

Gravity methods [8/9 lectures]

  1. Basic equations and Earth's gravity field
  2. Measurement of gravity
    1. Absolute gravity
    2. Relative gravity
  3. Field methods
  4. Corrections to observed gravity
  5. Interpretation Methods
    1. Anomaly Separation/Enhancement
    2. Gravity effects of geometric shapes

    3. Excess mass calculations
    4. Gravity effects of complex shapes
  6. Applications

Chapter 6

349 - 351
351 - 356


370 - 378
356 - 369

399 - 409
378 - 397
410 - 411

397 - 399
415 - 420

III.

Magnetic methods [8/9 lectures]

  1. Basic equations, units, and rock magnetism
  2. Earth's magnetic field
  3. Instruments
    1. Fluxgate
    2. Proton precession
    3. Alkali-vapor
    4. Gradiometer
  4. Field methods and corrections
  5. Magnetic anomalies and anomaly sketching
  6. Interpretation of magnetic anomalies
    1. Magnetic effects of geometric shapes
    2. Slope/half slope methods
    3. Magnetic effects of complex shapes
  7. Applications

Chapter 7

429 - 438
438 - 446
446 - 447




450 - 454
447 - 449

454 - 478
482 - 488
478 - 482
488 -493

IV.

Seismic methods [9/10 lectures]


  1. Elasticity and seismic waves
  2. Reflections, refractions, and attentuation
  3. Energy sources, geophones, and seismographs
  4. Refraction methods
    1. Single, multiple, and dipping layers
    2. Special problems
    3. Non-planar interfaces
    4. Field methods
    5. Applications
  5. Reflection methods
    1. Single layer
    2. Multiple layers
    3. Dipping layers and multiples
    4. Processing and interpreting the reflection seismogram
    5. Reflection applications

Chapters
2, 3,& 4

7 - 21
21 - 46
47 -60

65 - 106
106 - 120
120 - 126
129 - 136
136 - 141

149 - 167
167 - 182
182 - 199
217 - 248
248 - 253

V.

Electrical methods [5/6 lectures]

  1. Electrical properties of rocks
  2. Current flow in a homogeneous media
  3. Electrode arrays
  4. Current flow across layers of differing resistivities
  5. Field methods
    1. Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES)
    2. Constant Spacing Traverse (CST)
  6. Interpretation methods
  7. Applications
  8. Self-Potential (SP)

Chapter 5


267 - 280
317 - 320
280 - 286
287 - 316


323 - 331
331 - 338
339 - 340

VI.

Electromagnetic methods [5/6 lectures]

  1. Principles of electromagnetics
  2. Frequency-domain systems
  3. Time-domain systems
  4. Ground Penetrating Radar
  5. Applications

Chapter 8

499 - 509
509 - 519
519 - 521
524 - 539
539 - 548

Grading policy:

Homework is to be turned in at the beginning of the period on the day it is due, not at the end of the hour. Late homework will not be accepted. Copies of old tests and some lecture notes can be accessed from hot links on this page. Final is comprehensive and predominately multiple choice.

Office Hours: Monday 10:00 - 12:00 PM; Tuesday/Thursday 12:00 - 2:00 PM; Friday 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

ABET Category Content: Engineering Science

Useful Web Pages

  • Introduction to Geophysical Exploration: Colorado School of Mines
  • Univ. of Wisc. Course in Applied Geophysics
  • FHA - Application of Geophysical Methods to Highway Related Problems
  • Other Geophysics Courses on the Web
  • World Data Center for Solid Earth Geophysics
  • The UBC Geophysical inversion facility
  • The Environmental and Engineering Geophysical Society
  • Society of Exploration Geophysicists
  • American Geophysical Union
  • U. S. Geological Survey: Geophysics Products Page
  • Advanced Geosciences, Inc.
  • Geometrics